Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

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(Belloliva leucozona), though thismay reflect collection effort inthis area rather than actualVictorian distributions.Major ThreatsMeasures to address or minimisethreats identified for Eagle RockMarine Sanctuary form part of thepark management plan. Parks Victoriaalso uses an adaptive managementapproach which includes periodicreviews of priority natural values andthreats through processes such as theState of the Parks evaluation andsetting of desired conservationoutcomes. Through these processesParks Victoria has identified emergingthreats and developed appropriatemanagement responses.Serious threats include marine pestsand pathogens, illegal harvesting,nutrients and heavy metals fromsewage outfall, man-made dischargesof freshwater and stormwater,trampling, disturbance throughrecreation (e.g. dogs, horses, vehicles),increased shore-based development,litter from land or sea, oil pollutionand impacts associated withshipwrecks (physical damage,pollution or cleanup impacts).The invasive Japanese kelp Undariapinnatifida has recently been foundMussels Austromytilus rostratus growing on the intertidalreef. Photo by Jan Barton, Deakin University.in Apollo Bay Harbour and there areconcerns about its possible spreadto the sanctuary.Climate change poses a seriousmedium to long term threat to naturalvalues. Parks Victoria will use anadaptive management approachto develop responses and actionsthat focus on priority climate changeissues such as extreme weather eventsand existing risks that are likelyto be exacerbated by climate change.Research and MonitoringParks Victoria has establishedextensive marine research andmonitoring programs that addressimportant management challengesfor the marine national parks andsanctuaries. These focus on improvingbaseline knowledge, as well as appliedmanagement questions.Since the establishment of the parksin 2002 our knowledge andunderstanding of natural values andthreats for the system have improvedsignificantly through the marinescience program. Much of the researchhas been undertaken as part of theResearch Partners Program involvingcollaboration with various researchinstitutions.There are five ongoing researchprojects, one habitat mapping projectand one subtidal reef monitoringprogram that are relevant to EagleRock Marine Sanctuary, while eightresearch projects and one habitatmapping project have alreadybeen completed.While recognising there are stillknowledge gaps Parks Victoria willcontinue to focus on addressingthe information needs that willassist management.For more information, includingmarine habitat mapping products,please see the full versions of theMarine Natural Values reportson www.parks.vic.gov.au.21
Marine Natural Values Study SummaryPoint Addis MarineNational ParkAustralia’s southern waters areunique. Ninety per cent of ourmarine plants and animals arefound nowhere else on earth.The system of Marine NationalParks and Sanctuaries hasbeen established to representthe diversity of Victoria’smarine environment, itshabitats and associatedflora and fauna.Victoria’s marine environmenthas been classified into fivebioregions according toa nationally agreed schemebased on physical andbiological attributes.Point Addis Marine NationalPark is one of five marinesanctuaries and two marinenational parks in the CentralVictoria region.Image left:A rock pool on the intertidal reef.Photo by Jan Barton, Deakin University.Image right:A sponge garden on deep subtidal reef.DescriptionThe park covers 4,420 hectaresextending from the high water markto three nautical miles offshore withinthe continental shelf. It extends alongnine kilometres of coastline east ofAnglesea to Bells Beach abutting theGreat Otway National Park. PointAddis is a prominent headlandin the middle of the park.The park can be accessed by boatand by shore at Point Addis,Southside and Bells Beach.Parks Victoria acknowledges theAboriginal Traditional Owners ofVictoria – including its parks andreserves. Indigenous tradition indicatesthat the park is part of Countryof Wadda wurrung.Physical Parameters and ProcessesThe park has a high coastal exposure andwave energy. The Leeuwin current isthe most prominent influence on watermovement, causing a north-easterlycurrent through the park and sanctuariestowards Port Phillip Heads. At BellsBeach the south-westerly swellis refracted, and remains high andsteep over the shelving sea floorand breaks from west to east.Surface water temperatures varybetween an average 17.5°C in thesummer and 13.5°C in the winter.Tidal variation is 1.7 metres for springtides and 0.9 metres for neap tides.The coastline includes the Angleseasandstone cliffs, containing twooutcrops of the geologically significantPoint Addis limestone. While no majorestuaries run directly into the park,eight small intermittent streamsdischarge within the park boundaries.Marine Habitat Distributionand Ecological CommunitiesThe main habitats protected by thepark are beaches (including intertidalsoft sediment), intertidal reefs, subtidalreefs, subtidal soft sediments(including unusually large rhodolithbeds) and the water column.The intertidal soft sediments in thepark include the famous surf beachBells Beach. Beach drift on these softsediments is an important feedingand roosting habitat for shorebirds,including a number of conservationsignificance, and contributes detritusto nourish invertebrates such as bivalves.Subtidal soft sediment habitatsinclude patches of very sparseseagrass Heterozostera nigricaulisin the western region. Large rhodolithbeds (coralline algae) are presenton deep (25 metres to 39 metres)soft sediments.Sessile invertebrates can be foundassociated with deep soft sediments22
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The introduced New Zealand seastarA
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The marine flora and fauna of thesu
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Marine Natural Values Study Summary
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organisms. Those that make theirper
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Marine Natural Values Study Summary - Parks Victoria

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