Australia is one of the most amazing places in the world – an entire continent surrounded by an abundance of priceless ocean environments. Now, these precious resources have new protections in place, thanks to a newly expanded network of protected marine reserves. Before this action was taken, there were 27 Australian Commonwealth marine reserves. Today there are 60, extending over more than one third of Australia’s waters. Let’s take a quick look.
Leading the Way in Ocean Conservation
For generations, Australia has taken steps to preserve precious landmarks via the creation of an extensive national park system. Now, the Commonwealth is taking action to protect and preserve the oceans, which are home to unique marine life, much of which is threatened in many places throughout the world. By taking the opportunity to take the lead in protecting the oceans, Australia is stepping forward to lead the rest of the world in ocean conservation.
New National Marine Network Features
The new National Marine Network protects iconic reefs and other ocean environments that are critical to the survival of sharks, sea turtles, and other marine life. Together, the Coral Sea Commonwealth marine reserve and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are the largest contiguous Marine Protected Area on the planet, covering a total of 1.3 million square kilometers.
The national marine network protects a number of important features, including:
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The South-West Marine Region, which extends from the east end of South Australia’s Kangaroo Island to West Australia’s Shark Bay. It is a significant feeding and breeding ground for many protected species, including blue whales, southern right whales, and Australian sea lions. The Perth Canyon underwater mountain chain, which includes the deepest water in Australia, is located here.
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The Coral Sea Region, which covers an area over half the size of Queensland. This area is home to critical green sea turtle nesting sites, and is also known for its sharks and predatory pelagic fish. This portion of the network includes protection for all the Coral Sea’s reefs, including Bougainville Reef, Osprey Reef, Shark Reef, Vema Reef, and Marion Reef.
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The Temperate East Marine Region, which extends from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park’s southern boundary to southern New South Wales’ Bermagui. Endangered nurse sharks, vulnerable white sharks, and threatened black cod are just some of the marine animals living in this region.
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The Northwest Marine Region, which extends from Western Australia’s Northern Territory border to Kalbarri, located south of Shark Bay. This region is renowned for its whale sharks and migratory humpback whales that come from Antarctica to calve in the area located off the Kimberly.
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The North Marine Region, which covers Commonwealth waters located in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Arafura Sea, and the portion of the Timor Sea that extends to the Northern Territory/West Australia border. Here, threatened flatback, green, hawksbill, and olive ridley sea turtles nest; in addition, the area provides forage for migratory seabirds that breed nearby. It also supports one of the world’s largest aggregations of dugong.
In protecting its marine environment, Australia is doing more than simply preserving its marine life. The nation is also supporting marine industries and coastal communities, many of which rely on healthy marine environments to keep visitors coming. As species thrive and as the underwater environment continues to improve, the Commonwealth is certain to benefit as a whole.