parks victoria technical series marine natural values study vol 2 ...

Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 79
Flinders and Twofold Shelf Bioregions Marine Natural Values Study
Agreement (CAMBA, Parks Victoria 2006a). The threatened southern right whale Eubalaena
australis, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, southern elephant seal Mirounga
leonina and New Zealand fur seal Arctophoca forsteri use the MS waters. New Zealand fur
seals and Australian fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus use the intertidal reef as a
haul-out site for most of the year (Parks Victoria 2006a). The killer whale Orcinus orca,
bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus and common dolphin Delphinus delphis have been
observed in the waters in and around the park (Parks Victoria 2006a). Seventeen species of
marine flora and fauna are believed to be at their eastern or western distributional limits
within the MSP.
Serious threats to the Beware Reef MNP include limited ecological knowledge of important
processes. Invasive marine pests from commercial and recreational boats; anchor damage;
poaching of abalone; increased sediments from catchment runoff; and climate change all
pose serious threats to the integrity of the MNP (Carey et al. 2007b). Measures to address or
minimise these threats form part of the management plan for Beware Reef MNP (Parks
Victoria 2006a). Ongoing intertidal and subtidal reef monitoring, and specific research aims
to increase ecological knowledge about the natural values of, and threats to Beware Reef
MNP.
Figure 39. Finger sponge, feather stars, zooanthids and butteryfly perch Caesioperca lepidotera on
subtidal reef on Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Mark Norman Museum of Victoria.
3.1.1 PHYSICAL PARAMETERS & PROCESSES
Beware Reef MS is 220 hectares in size which makes it the 15th largest of the 24 Marine
National Parks or Sanctuaries in Victoria (Table 28, Figure 40). The reef is granite rising
from a sandy sea floor (Ball and Blake 2007; Edmunds et al. 2010b). The seafloor of the
park drops away to 33.5 metres in depth (Figure 41) and the MS is predominately > 20
metres deep (Ball and Blake 2007). Prevailing winds and swells are generally from the
south-west and south-east (Parks Victoria 2006a). The MS is influenced by high-energy
waves and currents (Parks Victoria 2006a). Tidal variation is 0.9 metres for spring tides and
0.6 metres for neap tides (Plummer et al. 2003). Surface water temperatures average 18.5
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