The Coorong and Lower Lakes form a vast and unique estuarine system at the terminus of Australia's Murray-Darling Basin. This Ramsar-listed wetland comprises the freshwater Lower Lakes—Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert—and the long, narrow, back-barrier lagoon known as the Coorong, which stretches from Goolwa to Salt Creek. The system is separated from the Southern Ocean by a narrow dune peninsula, with connectivity managed by a series of barrages constructed between 1935-1940. This engineered separation created distinct freshwater lakes and a brackish-to-hypersaline lagoon, fundamentally altering the historic ecology. The fishery here is recognized for its sustainability, with a long commercial history dating to the mid-19th century. The health of the entire system is intrinsically linked to freshwater flows from the River Murray, making it highly sensitive to drought, water extraction, and management of the barrages.