A scientific workshop for NESP Project D1 ‘Developing a toolbox of predictive models for the monitoring and management of KEFs and CMRs in the North and North-west regions’ was held at Geoscience Australia 9-10 September 2015. The objectives of the workshop were to discuss future research priorities for the North and North-West regions and to define current knowledge gaps by consolidating existing datasets from AIMS, GA and UWA. Several robust datasets for the North and North-West region were identified which may be used to validate, refine, or extend existing models, particularly in the Oceanic Shoals CMR and along the North-west coastline, including the Kimberley CMR. There are still large regions for which very little scientific information exists, notably the Argo Rowley Terrace CMR and other deep-sea areas. However, when balanced against stakeholder interests and marine management priorities, data-poor CMRs closer to the coast such as the Kimberley and 80 Mile Beach CMRs are the most likely candidates for future research.