The major marine industries are offshore oil and gas, and marine tourism and recreation.
Marine tourism is also the largest employer of the marine industries.
Total direct tourism employment is estimated by the Bureau of Tourism Research at 535,600 and a substantial portion of this would be in marine tourism, possibly around 35 per cent. Caution is needed when interpreting the economic data below for marine tourism since this is only an estimate. Little specific data is collected on the marine component of the tourism and recreation industry. Marine tourism takes in a wide range of activities including scuba diving, game fishing, recreational fishing, and simply holidaying at the beach. The size of this industry is no doubt a reflection of the extensive and attractive coastline in Australia as well as major features such as the Great Barrier Reef.