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

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34 Natural values of the Solitary Islands Marine Parksperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), short-finnedpilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), straptoothbeaked whale (Mesoplodon layardii), Fraser’s dolphin(Lagenodelphis hosei), spotted dolphin (Stenellaattenuata), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba),dugong (Dugong dugon), leopard seal (Hydrurgaleptonyx), and Australian fur seal (Arctocephaluspusillus). The distribution of these mammals extendswell beyond the marine park region. In the marinepark, several are at the extreme limit of their rangeand therefore uncommon.Figure 47.Green turtle.7.3 Marine reptilesMarine reptiles are common in the marine park. Four of the world’s seven species ofmarine turtle have been recorded (Ganassin and Gibbs, 2005a, b). Most often seen arethe:• green turtle (Chelonia mydas) (Figure 47),• loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta),• hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).Leatherback turtles have also been observed, although rarely (NPWS unpubl. data,Zann 2000a).Sea turtle nesting, mainly of green turtles but also of loggerhead turtles, has beenrecorded on several beaches, including those at Red Rock, Diggers Camp, HearnesLake and Sandon. Some eggs have hatched successfully.While 11 species of sea snakes occur in NSW waters, sightings are uncommon. Only afew species have been recorded in the region (Ganassin and Gibbs 2005a), includingthe elegant sea snake Hydrophis elegans and yellow-bellied sea snake Pelamis platurus.See NSW Department of Primary Industries 2004 for more details on the distributionand biology of several of these species.7.4 BirdsBirds that depend on marine and estuarine habitats include true seabirds, shorebirds,waders, waterfowl and birds of prey (Higgins and Davies 1996, Higgins 1999). Thereare over 120 species of coastal and marine birds in the region. Of these, around 100species commonly occur on the coasts and inshore waters, many of them on aseasonal basis (Ganassin and Gibbs 2005a and b) (Figure 48).Figure 48.Winter visitors – gannets.Some vegetated offshore islands are important potential breeding sites for seabirds.The species recorded as breeding on these islands are the wedge-tailed shearwater,crested tern, silver gull, white-faced storm petrel, sooty oystercatcher and possiblythe fluttering shearwater and buller’s shearwater.Ospreys also nest on one of the islands (Figure 49),and this is the only record of ground nesting forosprey in NSW.Species found in estuarine habitat include variouswaders, such as whimbrel and eastern curlew.Summer migrant species include the mongolianplover, grey tailed tattler, bar-tailed godwit, sharptailedsandpiper and red-necked stint
Other marine species 35Many species of seabird also rely on the shores forroosting and resting, feeding along intertidal flatsand rocky shores, or capturing their food from theopen ocean waters.7.5 Threatened and protected,rare and endemic marinespeciesThreatened fish, including shark species in NSWare listed in the Fisheries Management Act 1994.A number of these occur in the marine park (seeTable 1).Threatened marine mammals and reptiles are listed in the Threatened SpeciesConservation Act 1995. Several threatened marine mammals and reptiles may be foundin the marine park at differing times of the year, often passing through on their yearlymigration along the east coast.Figure 49.Osprey groundnest.Many species are endemic to the subtropical east coast of Australia, or more broadly tothe east coast or southern parts of Australia. Some species are at their northernmostor southernmost limit of natural distribution when they are in the marine park, so mayrarely occur in this area, although they may not necessarily be rare across their overalldistribution. The marine park also provides feeding and nesting sites for migratorymarine species and shorebirds. While the management of the marine park aims toconserve all marine species occurring naturally in the region, particular emphasis isgiven to conserving threatened and protected species, and those that are endemic.In the marine park, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is the mostcommonly encountered of the seven whale or dolphin species listed as threatenedunder NSW and Commonwealth legislation.The marine park contains significant habitat for the endangered grey nurse shark(Carcharias taurus) (Figure 50). Grey nurse sharks may be found in the marine parkthroughout the year, but are generally most abundant between April and November,when water temperatures are around 18 or 19°C. Grey nurse sharks prefer gutters inreefs and submarine caves (Otway and Parker 2000).Historical accounts (Otway and Parker 2000), NSW Fisheries records and recent surveysindicate that South Solitary Island (Manta Arch) is the most significant habitat for greynurse sharks in the marine park. Other significant habitat is found at sites around NorthSolitary Island (gutters off Anemone Bay), North West Solitary Island (‘E’ gutters), SplitSolitary Island (Coral Cove) and Pimpernel Rock (in Commonwealth waters). However,these sharks occur throughout the marine park.Survey data also suggests a significant decline innumbers in the marine park since the 1970s, andgenerally throughout their range despite theirprotected status. Quarterly surveys were undertakenat 57 sites during a two-and-a-half year periodalong the entire NSW coastline, including sites in themarine park. These surveys revealed that grey nursesharks occur in very low numbers. The total numberof grey nurse sharks sighted totalled 292 (Otwaypers. comm.). A recovery plan is being implementedin NSW for the grey nurse shark, which will identifyFigure 50.Grey nurse shark(Carcharias taurus).
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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