Natural values of the Solitary Islands Marine Park - Marine Parks ...

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28 Natural values of the Solitary Islands Marine ParkFigure 40.Map of seabed habitatswithin (a) Sandon River,(b) Wooli Wooli River and(c) Corindi River in themarine park.(a)(b)(c)
Estuarine ecosystems 29The beds contain a higher diversity and abundance of fish than unvegetated areas andare an important habitat for young fish such as snapper, yellow-fin bream, tarwhineand luderick (Hannan and Williams 1998).The fish communities in beds of different seagrass species are also often distinct, withmany species or life-history stages only found in that particular habitat (Middleton etal 1984, Rotherham and West 2002).Two seagrass species are found in the marine park, Zostera capricorni (eelgrass)and Halophila ovalis (paddleweed). Both species are generally limited to estuariessubjected to regular tidal flushing, such as the five barrier lagoons. They are also foundin Woolgoolga Reef, Minnie Water Lagoon and Sandon Headland which are the onlyseagrass communities recorded in oceanic locations in the marine park (Figure 40).5.2 MangrovesMangroves are found mostly in sheltered estuarine environments, growing primarilyon areas of soft sediment, and form a distinct habitat known as a mangrove forest(Chapman and Underwood 1995). They are an important component of estuarinewetlands which occupy the transitional zone between land and sea, and arecharacterised by the presence of water, either permanently or periodically.Two species dominate the habitat in the estuaries; grey mangrove (Avicennia marina)and river mangrove (Aegicerus corniculatum) (Figure 41).In most places, the mangroves occur in the intertidal area seaward of the saltmarsh,but variations in local topography often result in a highly patchy mosaic of the twohabitats in a small area. Figure 41.Grey mangrove(Avicennia marina).
Page 1 and 2: Naturalvalues of theSolitary Island
Page 3: ContentsGlossary1 Introduction . .
Page 6 and 7: littorinid snails: species of mollu
Page 8 and 9: 2 Natural values of the Solitary Is
Page 10 and 11: 2 Physical environment2.1 ClimateTh
Page 16 and 17: 3 Ecosystems and habitatsBiological
Page 18 and 19: 4 Ocean ecosystemsConsolidated area
Page 20 and 21: 14 Natural values of the Solitary I
Page 32 and 33: Figure 37.Station Creek.5 Estuarine
Page 38 and 39: 6 Pelagic ecosystemsOcean currents

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