Murat Marine Park Explained

Type:protected
Murat Marine Park
State:au
Iucn Category:II
Coordinates:-32.5167°N 132.65°W
Relief:yes
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Nearest Town Or City:Fowlers Bay
Area:937.77
Area Footnotes:[1]
Established Footnotes:[2]
Managing Authorities:Director of National Parks
Url:http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/south-west/murat

Murat Marine Park (formerly Murat Commonwealth Marine Reserve) is a marine protected area located in the Great Australian Bight south of South Australia in waters within the Australian Exclusive economic zone to the west of the island group known as the Nuyts Archipelago and ranging in depth from 15m (49feet) to 70m (230feet).[3]

It was gazetted in November 2012.[2] It was renamed on 11 October 2017.[4]

The marine park includes ecosystems representative of a feature known as the "Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition", two "key ecological features" being "benthic invertebrate communities’’ and "areas important for small pelagic fish", and the feeding areas for the following species - Australian sea lion, great white shark, short-tailed shearwater and Caspian tern. It also provides protection for a submerged reef system known as "Yatala Reef".[5]

It is part of a group of Australian marine parks known as the South-west Marine Parks Network.[3]

The marine park is classified as an IUCN Category II protected area.[1]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD) - consolidated data set for all marine protected areas in Australian State and Commonwealth waters (refer "DETAIL' tab) . Department of the Environment . 12 July 2015.
  2. Web site: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Commonwealth Marine Reserves) Proclamation 2012 - F2012L02188. Commonwealth of Australia, Comlaw. 19 March 2015.
  3. Web site: Murat Commonwealth Marine Reserve . Department of the Environment (DoE). 12 July 2015.
  4. Web site: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Commonwealth Marine Reserves Renaming) Proclamation 2017 . Federal Register of Legislation . Australian Government . 5 July 2018 . 11 October 2017.
  5. Web site: Murat Commonwealth Marine Reserve - Maps. Department of the Environment (DoE). 12 July 2015.