Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park Explained

Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park
Iucn Category:	VI
Coords:	-15.5086°N 118.3667°W
Coords Ref:	^[1]
Location:	Australia
Area Km2:	146,003
Established:	1 July 2018
Operator:	Parks Australia

The Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park (formerly known as the Argo-Rowley Terrace Commonwealth Marine Reserve) is an Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia. It encompasses the protected areas of the Rowley Shoals, about 260km (160miles) north-west of Broome. The marine park covers an area of 146003km2 and is assigned IUCN management category VI. It is the largest of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.^[2]

Conservation values

Species and habitat

• Important foraging areas for migratory seabirds and the endangered loggerhead turtle.
• Important area for sharks, which are found in abundance around the Rowley Shoals relative to other areas in the region.
• The reserve provides protection for the communities and habitats of the deeper offshore waters of the region in depth ranges from to over .^[3]

Bioregions and ecology

• The reserve provides protection for many seafloor features including aprons and fans, canyons, continental rise, knolls/abyssal hills and the terrace and continental slope.
• Examples of the communities and seafloor habitats of the Northwest Transition and Timor Province provincial bioregions.
• The reserve provides connectivity between the existing Mermaid Reef Marine Park and reefs of the Western Australian Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the deeper waters of the region.
• Canyons linking the Argo Abyssal Plain with the Scott Plateau (unique seafloor feature with enhanced productivity and feeding aggregations of species).
• Mermaid Reef and the Commonwealth waters surrounding Rowley Shoals (an area of high biodiversity with enhanced productivity and feeding and breeding aggregations).^[3]

History

The marine park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park on 9 October 2017.^[2] The management plan and protection measures of the marine park came into effect for the first time on 1 July 2018.

Summary of protection zones

The Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park has been assigned IUCN protected area category VI. However, within the marine park there are three protection zones; each zone has an IUCN category and related rules for managing activities to ensure the protection of marine habitats and species.^[2]

The following table summarizes the zoning rules within the Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park:^[2]

Zone	IUCN	Activities permitted						Total area (km^2)
		Vessel transiting	Recreational fishing	Commercial fishing	Commercial aquaculture	Commercial tourism	Mining
National Park	II							36,050
Multiple Use	VI							108,812
Special Purpose (Trawl)	VI							1,141
External link: Zoning and rules for the North-west Marine Parks Network

See also

• Protected areas managed by the Australian government

External links

• North-west Marine Parks Network - Parks Australia
• North-west Marine Parks Network - environment.gov.au (outdated)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Relation: Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park (8426820 . OpenStreetMap . August 17, 2018.
2. Web site: North-west Marine Parks Network Management Plan 2018 . August 17, 2018 . Parks Australia.
3. Web site: Argo-Rowley Terrace Commonwealth Marine Reserve . environment.gov.au . 2018-08-17. Commonwealth of Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) . dmy-all.