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

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littorinid snails: species of mollusc characterised by thick walled, turban-shapedshells that mostly live in the intertidal zonemacroalgae: large aquatic photosynthetic plants such as kelp that can be seenwithout a microscopemacrofauna: animals visible to the naked eyemeiofauna: very small animals which live within sand and which are from 63 micronsto 1 millimetre long.mesopelagic species: species living underwater at depths of between 180 and900 metresoctocorals: a subclass of sedentary, colonial corals with polyps that always have eighttentacles, such as sea fanspelagic: associated with the surface or middle depths of the open seaplankton: microscopic animals or plants that drift in the seapolychaete: segmented marine worms with bristles along the bodyquartzose: material resembling or containing quartzsessile: attached by the base, generally to the seabedsiliceous argillite: metamorphic rock containing silicasurrogates: components related to biological diversity that are more easily measuredor mapped than biological diversity itselfturbite: fossilisedunconsolidated habitat: seabed habitat consisting primarily of soft sedimentssuch as sand or mudurchin barren: area where populations of sea urchins have overgrazed kelp bedszoanthid: invertebrate which incorporates sand or other small pieces of material intoits structure, such as types of coral or sea anenome
1 Introduction1.1 About the marine parkThe Solitary Islands Marine Park was declared on 2 January 1998 under the MarineParks Act 1997. Before this it was a marine reserve, initially declared in May 1991 underthe Fisheries and Oyster Farms Act 1935. The marine park extends for 75 km fromMuttonbird Island in the south to Plover Island in the north, and from the mean highwater mark and upper tidal limits of coastal estuaries to the limit of the NSW Statewaters (Figure 1). It covers an area of approximately 71,000 hectares of estuarine andmarine habitats.There are five main islands in the marine park; North Solitary Island, North WestSolitary Island, South West Solitary Island (Groper Island), South Solitary Island and SplitSolitary Island. Other significant rocky outcrops and submerged reefs are dispersedthroughout the marine park.The Solitary Islands Marine Park caters for many different recreational and commercialactivities, including beach walking, swimming, surfing, other beach activities,commercial and recreational fishing, scuba diving, whale and dolphin watching,research, boating and other water sports. Revenue generated from the local fishingand tourism industries benefits the region economically, and is a valuable asset to thecommunity. The Marine Park is culturally important to local Aboriginal communities,with many significant cultural and spiritual sites located within or adjacent to theMarine Park.The Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth waters) is adjacent to theSolitary Islands Marine Park (state waters) (Figure 1). The Commonwealth Reservewas proclaimed a marine reserve in 1993 under the Commonwealth National Parksand Wildlife Conservation Act 1975, and is now managed under the CommonwealthEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The CommonwealthReserve extends from the state boundary to the 50-metre depth contour, and sharesnorthern and southern boundaries with the state marine park.A management plan for the Commonwealth Solitary Islands Marine Reserve cameinto effect in April 2001. For the purposes of this document ‘the marine park’ refers tothe combined Solitary Islands Marine Park (NSW) and Solitary Islands Marine Reserve(Commonwealth).The extensive terrestrial Yuraygir National Park that adjoins the northern section ofthe marine park contains several important intermittently closed and open lakes andlagoons (ICOLLS) and barrier lagoons which are some of the most pristine waterwaysin NSW.1.2 Plants and animalsThe marine park contains a diverse range of habitats including intertidal and subtidalreefs, soft sediments, beaches, seagrass beds, mangroves, saltmarsh and open waterswhich all support distinct groups of plants and animals. As the park extends fromthe high tide mark to at least 70 metres deep and 20 kilometres offshore in someareas, there is considerable diversity in flora and fauna. Such diversity is due to thevariations in depth, various dominant sessile assemblages (communities of speciesattached by their base to the seabed), oceanographic influences and the presence of
Page 1 and 2: Naturalvalues of theSolitary Island
Page 3: ContentsGlossary1 Introduction . .
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

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

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