How do we know if Project Eden is succeeding, and what will success mean?

An essential part of an ambitious conservation initiative like Project Eden is to be able to continually monitor and assess how effective, various management strategies have been in achieving our goals. This regular monitoring and assessment, must be able to focus on identifying and measuring the important results demanded from the different stages of the project. It is often necessary to utilise different techniques, to satisfy both the immediate needs of assessing the ongoing activities, and to provide a base level of information for long-term monitoring to ensure that the gains and successes are maintained into the future.

The success of Project Eden, if maintained, will not only deliver enormous conservation benefits, but in the process, it will also provide vital insight into and knowledge of arid ecosystems. It might even provide some new answers to similar conservation problems encountered elsewhere. But above all, it will create an arid ecosystem that is functioning in a near 'natural' state. Few places in Australia can provide a similar, virtually pristine area in which to study our native species, in the absence of the Threatening Processes so prevalent across most of the mainland.

In addition to the scientific benefits of the Project, the resulting 'Eden' will provide enormous opportunities for ordinary people to engage with and enjoy the beauty and mystery of this magnificent natural environment, and to become better informed about its exciting history and ecology.

An associated bonus to the Shark Bay region of this increased interest and appreciation, will be the economic benefits from ecotourism opportunities as more people are drawn to the area by the Project's environmental achievements. This will encourage longer stays by visitors who come to experience the other cultural and natural attractions of the World Heritage Listed Area, such as the Monkey Mia dolphins, ancient stromatolites at Hamelin Pool and the rest of the complex and diverse marine ecosystem.