This issue looks at issues around impact assessment and the marine environment. Popular media have, in recent times, highlighted negative human impacts on the marine environment, from plastic found in dead turtles, to coral bleaching in Australia and the Pacific, to overfishing, deep-sea exploration and resource extraction. We are reminded frequently of sea-level rise impacting on coastal settlements and increasing intensity of ocean storms and coastal disasters. Impact assessment seems to have a weak connection into resource policy, decision making and management for the ocean environment. We ask as an Association, how can this connection be improved? What are we learning to help locate impact assessment as a key part of planning and decision making processes relating to the marine environment? How can we be more effective in our contribution?