Cell Descriptions - South East Natural Resources Management Board

SE12 – Cape Jaffa
Landforms
This cell is entirely a low coastal plain, with an irregular surface of calcarenite and Holocene
sands. The beach and dune morphology which characterise this cell has been dominated by the
shallow offshore reefs, composed of Robe Range calcarenite. These reefs ensure that wave
energy is normally low and the beaches reflective. In the late Holocene the low wave energy
almost certainly led to low volumes of sand being transported onshore and the deposition of
stable dune ridges, not transgressive dunefields. The modern beaches show coarse to medium
sand, with maintenance of relatively steep beachface angles. The dunes rise steeply from the
beach due to the topography of the underlying calcarenite. The plan form of the shoreline shows
minor inflexions, or crenulations, with larger reefs opposite the horns of a crenulation.
At the southern end of the cell there is a low narrow dune complex, beach and shallow offshore
gradient; a medium energy, reef protected, shore. Wave energy increases slightly at the middle of
the cell, with increasing damage to the foredune; the dune complex is slightly wider, and it is
higher, with some blow outs. Short & Hesp (1984, p.71) attribute widening to grazing damage
and dune movement between 1945 and 1975.
Cape Thomas (Baudin Rocks lie adjacent offshore). Photograph Coast Protection Board 2008.
Biota
There are 8 flora survey sites, 15 Herbarium record sites, 1 fauna survey sites, and 24 opportune
survey sites. 372ha of vegetated land.
Dunes of Bernoulli CR in tall shrubland of Leucopogon parviflorus over Olearia axillarus, Acacia
longifolia and Myoporum insulare. South of this reserve there is only patchy dune vegetation. 103
fauna species have been recorded in the cell including 96 birds, 2 butterflies, 3 mammals and 2
reptiles. Listed threatened fauna include the EPBC listed critically endangered Orange-bellied
Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster); also the State endangered White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus
leucogaster) and Little (Sternula albifrons) and Fairy (Sternula nereis) Terns.
Limestone Coast and Coorong Coastal Action Plan 415