| Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve | |
| Iucn Category: | II |
| Location: | Tasman Sea, Australia |
| Coordinates: | -40°N 151.56°W |
| Coords Ref: | [1] |
| Nearest Town: | Ansons Bay, Tasmania |
| Area Km2: | 27043 |
| Governing Body: | Parks Australia (Commonwealth of Australia) |
| Url: | http://environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/south-east/flinders |
Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a 27,043km2 marine protected area within Australian waters located off the coast of north-east Tasmania. It extends to the outer limits of the Australian exclusive economic zone in the Tasman Sea. The reserve was established in 2007[2] and is part of the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.
The reserve area contains habitat for lace corals, sea sponges and giant crabs. A prominent feature is a large offshore seamount believed to be too deep to have been fished. Seamounts generally host a wide variety of habitats that support deep ocean biodiversity, the large seamounts to the east of Tasmania are individually important, as they are expected to include endemic species.[3]
Most of the Flinders marine reserve area is IUCN protected area category II and zoned as 'Marine National Park'. A small portion near the coast is zoned as 'Multiple Use' (IUCN VI).[3]
| Zone | IUCN | Activities permitted | Area (km2) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational fishing | Commercial fishing | Mining | |||
| Marine National Park | II | 25,812 | |||
| Multiple Use | VI | 1,231 | |||