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Australia > North

North network

Marine parks

Number of marine parks: 8

There are eight Australian Marine Parks off the coast of the Northern Territory and Queensland that make up the North Marine Parks Network. The region has shallow-water tropical marine ecosystems and a large area of continental shelf. Coral, invertebrates, and phytoplankton are all highly diverse, and fish such as snapper, emperor and grouper are common higher order predators of coral and rocky reef habitats. The region supports dugong, seabirds and dolphins. Sawfish, seasakes, saltwater crocodiles, seahorse and pipefish are also at home here. This is a fantastic place to fish, snorkel, dive or go boating, with plenty to do for visitors.

Biodiversity

The North Marine Parks Network is known for its high diversity of tropical species, but relatively low endemism when compared to the southern Australian marine flora and fauna. The network is characterised by tropical shallow-water marine ecosystems that occur across an extensive area of continental shelf. Typical habitats include coral reefs, soft sediments, canyons and limestone pinnacles, and these environments host an incredible diversity of associated species. Dense sponge gardens, a variety of soft sediment communities dominated by echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes, and some of the nation's most biodiverse coral reef ecosystems exist in this region. The North Marine Parks Network is also renowned for its turtle foraging and nesting habitats, with six of the world's seven species of marine turtles known to show these important behaviours in this area, which is also known for its globally significant populations of seasnakes.

Research

These short articles highlight the findings from ongoing scientific research within the North Network, including exciting new discoveries and ideas for future projects.
West Cape York

Acoustic mapping of Carpentaria Shoal and surrounds, West Cape York Marine Park

Acoustic mapping of one of northern Australia’s least studied coral shoals and searching for a shipwreck.
Output spline with 3D surface render wessel marine park

Multibeam operations in Wessel Marine Park

Acoustic mapping of the seafloor off the east coast of East Arnhem Land.
Survey preparation

Sea Country surveys in the North Marine Parks Network

A network-wide assessment of coral reef biodiversity undertaken by Reef Life Survey and local sea rangers

Staying connected across the marine regions of northern Australia

An investigation into larval population connectivity between marine parks in the north and northwest networks.

Scientific papers

The following publications contain information relevant to marine parks in the North network and adjacent waters. Click on the links to access to the publications.
  • Roberts, Kelsey E., Valkan, Rebecca S. and Cook, Carly N. (2018). Measuring progress in marine protection: A new set of metrics to evaluate the strength of marine protected area networks.
  • Taylor, A. L, Nowland, S. J, Hearnden, M. N, Hair, C. A and Fleming, A. E. (2016). Sea ranching release techniques for cultured sea cucumber Holothuria scabra (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) juveniles within the high-energy marine environments of northern Australia.
  • Bulman, C. M and Fulton, E. A. (2015). Bentho-pelagic coupling in Commonwealth Marine Reserves.
  • Devillers, R, Pressey, R. L, Grech, A, Kittinger, J. N, Edgar, G. J, Ward, T and Watson, R. (2015). Reinventing residual reserves in the sea: are we favouring ease of establishment over need for protection?.
  • Fuentes, M. M. P. B, Blackwood, J , Jones, B , Kim, M , Leis, B, Limpus, C. J, Marsh, H, Mitchell, J, Pouzols, F.M, Pressey, R. L and Visconti, P. (2015). A decision framework for prioritizing multiple management actions for threatened marine megafauna.
  • Nichol, S. L. (2015). Submarine Canyons: Their role in shaping biodiversity patterns on the Australian margin Fact Sheet.
  • Whiteside, T. G and Bartolo, R. E. (2015). Use of WorldView-2 time series to establish a wetland monitoring program for potential offsite impacts of mine site rehabilitation.
  • Heap, A. D, Nichol, S. L and Brooke, B. P. (2014). Seabed mapping to support geological storage of carbon dioxide in offshore Australia.
  • Huang, Z, Kool, J and Nichol, S. (2014). Submarine Canyon Mapping.
  • Huang, Z, Nichol, S. L, Harris, P. T and Caley, M. J. (2014). Classification of submarine canyons of the Australian continental margin.
  • Proske, U, Heslop, D and Haberle, S. (2014). A Holocene record of coastal landscape dynamics in the eastern Kimberley region, Australia.
  • Alongi, D. M, da Silva, M, Wasson, R. J and Wirasantosa, S. (2013). Sediment discharge and export of fluvial carbon and nutrients into the Arafura and Timor Seas: A regional synthesis.
  • Barr, L. M and Possingham, H. P. (2013). Are outcomes matching policy commitments in Australian marine conservation planning?.
  • Evans-Illidge, E.A , Logan, M , Doyle, J , Fromont, J, Battershill, C.N , Ericson, G, Wolff, C.W, Muirhead, A, Kearns, P, Abdo, D and Kininmonth, S (2013). Phylogeny Drives Large Scale Patterns in Australian Marine Bioactivity and Provides a New Chemical Ecology Rationale for Future Biodiscovery.
  • Purcell, S. W, Mercier, A, Conand, C, Hamel, J. F, Toral-Granda, M. V, Lovatelli, A and Uthicke, S. (2013). Sea cucumber fisheries: global analysis of stocks, management measures and drivers of overfishing.
  • Reisser, J, Shaw, J, Wilcox, C, Hardesty, B. D, Proietti, M, Thums, M and Pattiaratchi, C. (2013). Marine plastic pollution in waters around Australia: characteristics, concentrations, and pathways.
  • Whytlaw, P. A, Edwards, W and Congdon, B. C. (2013). Marine turtle nest depredation by feral pigs (Sus scrofa) on the Western Cape York Peninsula, Australia: implications for management.
  • Wilcox, C, Hardesty, B. D, Sharples, R, Griffin, D. A, Lawson, T. J and Gunn, R. (2013). Ghostnet impacts on globally threatened turtles, a spatial risk analysis for northern Australia.
  • Ballagh, A. C, Welch, D. J, Newman, S. J, Allsop, Q and Stapley, J. M. (2012). Stock structure of the blue threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) across northern Australia derived from life-history characteristics.
  • Field, I. C, Buckworth, R. C, Yang, G. J, Meekan, M. G, Johnson, G, Stevens, J. D , Pillans R, D, McMahaon, C. R and Bradshaw, C. J. (2012). Changes in size distributions of commercially exploited sharks over 25 years in northern Australia using a Bayesian approach.
  • Fuentes, M. P. B., Poloczanska, E. S, Hobday, A. J and Richardson, A. J. (2012). Marine Climate Change in Australia Impacts and Adaptation Responses 2012 REPORT CARD: Marine Reptiles.
  • Hosack, G. R, Dambacher, J. M, Rochester, W. A and Dutra, L. X. C. (2012). Ecological Indicators for the Exclusive Economic Zone of Australia's North and North West Marine Regions.
  • Kamrowski, R. L, Limpus, C, Moloney, J and Hamann, M. (2012). Coastal light pollution and marine turtles: assessing the magnitude of the problem.
  • Porter-Smith, R, Lyne, V. D, Kloser, R. J and Lucieer, V. L. (2012). Catchment-based classification of Australia's continental slope canyons.
  • Tillett, B. J., Meekan, M. G., Broderick, D., Field, I. C., Cliff, G. and Ovenden, J. R. (2012). Pleistocene isolation, secondary introgression and restricted contemporary gene flow in the pig-eye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis across northern Australia.
  • 2011., State of the Environment Committee. (2011). Australia State of the Environment 2011: Chapter 6 Marine environment..
  • Chambers, L. E, Devney, C. A, Congdon, B. C, Dunlop, N, Woehler, E. J and Dann, P. (2011). Observed and predicted effects of climate on Australian seabirds.
  • West, J. G. (2011). Changing patterns of shark attacks in Australian waters.
  • Ceccarelli, D. (2010). Research and Monitoring in Australia's Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas: A Review.
  • Lack, M. (2010). Assessment of risks that commercial fishing methods may pose to conservation values identified in the Areas for Further Assessment of the North and North-west Marine Regions.
  • Ceccarelli, D. M. (2009). Impacts of plastic debris on Australian marine wildlife.
  • Fuentes, M. M. P. B, Maynard, J. A, Guinea, M, Bell, I. P, Werdell, P. J and Hamann, M. (2009). Proxy indicators of sand temperature help project impacts of global warming on sea turtles in northern Australia.
  • Wilson, B. (2009). National Heritage Values of the Kimberley Nearshore Marine Environment: Camden Sound and Montgomery Reef.
  • Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). The North Marine Bioregional Plan: Bioregional Profile.
  • Baker, C, Potter, A, Tran, M and Heap, A. D. (2008). Geomorphology and Sedimentology of the Northwest Marine Region of Australia.
  • Griffin, D. (2008). Pilot investigation of the origins and pathways of marine debris found in the northern Australian marine environment.
  • Lukoschek, M. V. (2007). Molecular ecology, evolution and conservation of hydrophiine sea snakes.
  • Lukoschek, V, Waycott, M and Marsh, H. (2007). Phylogeography of the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis (Hydrophiinae) indicates Pleistocene range expansion around northern Australia but low contemporary gene flow.
  • Hayes, D, Lyne, V, Condie, S, Griffiths, B, Pigot, S and Hallegraeff, G. (2005). Collation and Analysis of Oceanographic Datasets for National Marine Bioregionalisation.
  • Heap, A. D, Harris, P. T, Last, P, Lyne, V, Hinde, A and Woods, M. (2005). Benthic marine bioregionalisation of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone.
  • Last, P, Lyne, V, Yearsley, G, Gledhill, D, Gomon, M, Rees, T and White, W. (2005). Validation of national demersal fish datasets for the regionalisation of the Australian continental slope and outer shelf (> 40 m depth).
  • Passlow, V, Rogis, J, Hancock, A, Hemer, M, Glenn, K and Habib, A. (2005). Final Report: National Marine Sediments Database and Seafloor characteristics project. Geoscience Australia.
  • Rothlisberg, P, Condie, S, Hayes, D, Griffiths, B, Edgar, S and Dunn, J. (2005). Collation and Analysis of Oceanographic Datasets for National Marine Bioregionalisation: The Northern Large Marine Domain.
  • Whiting, S, Long, J, Hadden, K and Council, T. L. (2005). Identifying the links between nesting and foraging grounds for the Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles in northern Australia.
  • Wilson, G. D. F. (2005). Bilogical Survey of the Arafura Sea: A National Oceans Office, Australian Museum and CSIRO project.
  • Wilson, G. D. F. (2005). Arafura Sea Biological Survey, Draft Report on Benthic Fauna collected dur- ing RV Southern Surveyor Voyage 05-2005, taxonomic results.
  • Hooper, J. N and Ekins, M. (2004). Collation and validation of museum collection databases related to the distribution of marine sponges in northern Australia.
  • Office, National Oceans (2004). Scoping Report for the Northern Planning Area.
  • Office, National Oceans (2004). Description of Key Species Groups in the Northern Planning Area.
  • Pitcher, C. R, Condie, S, Ellis, N, McLeod, I, Haywood, M, Gordon, S. R, Skewes, T. D, Dunn, J, Dennis, D. M, Cotterell, E and Austin, M. (2004). Torres Strait Seabed & Water-Column Data Collation, Bio-physical Modeling and Characterization. Final Report to the National Oceans Office.
  • Environment, North (2003). Impacts of current activities in the Northern planning area, Project report - Draft.
  • Harris, P, Heap, A. D, Passlow, V, Sbaffi, L, Fellows, M, Porter-Smith, R, Buchanan, C and Daniell, J. (2003). Geomorphic features of the continental margin of Australia.
  • Sprintall, J, Potemra, J. T, Hautala, S. L, Bray, N. A and Pandoe, W. W. (2003). Temperature and salinity variability in the exit passages of the Indonesian Throughflow.
  • Baker, G. B, Gales, R, Hamilton, S and Wilkinson, V. (2002). Albatrosses and petrels in Australia: a review of their conservation and management.
  • Bulman, C. M, He, X and Koslow, J. A. (2002). Trophic ecology of the mid-slope demersal fish community off southern Tasmania, Australia.
  • Pogonoski, J. J, Paxton, J. R and Pollard, D. A. (2002). Conservation overview and action plan for Australian threatened and potentially threatened marine and estuarine fishes.
  • Claridge, G and Wbm Oceanics, Australia (1997). Guidelines for managing visitation to seabird breeding islands Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
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