Cartier Island Marine Park is located about 45 kilometres south-east of Ashmore Reef, surrounding an unvegetated, uninhabited sandy cay and reef island in the Timor Sea. Cartier Island Marine Park includes a small submerged pinnacle (Wave Governor Bank) and two shallow pools in the northeast. Much like Ashmore Reef Marine Park, this biodiversity hotspot attracts huge schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, turtles and dugongs, as well as an unusually high diversity of seasnakes.
Video
Wave Governor Bank is a small submerged pinnacle that sits within the Cartier Island Marine Park. This BRUVS video shows some of the species that are attracted to this prominent geomorphological feature, including trevally and paddle-tail snapper.
Research
These short articles highlight the findings from ongoing scientific research within the Cartier Island Marine Park, including exciting new discoveries and ideas for future projects.
Small and/or camouflaged fish species hidden on or near the reef surface are commonly referred to as ‘cryptic’ or ‘cryptobenthic’ fishes. These species are characteristically difficult to see but are diverse and abundant throughout Australian Marine Parks and may play an important role in supporting the larger predatory fish species protected within park boundaries.
Parks Australia manage 60 Australian Marine Parks, many of which include shallow reefs. These reef habitats are hugely diverse, and include tropical reefs dominated by hard corals; current-swept offshore bommies covered in sea whips, sea fans and soft corals; temperate rocky reefs with sea urchin barrens or low lying colourful seaweeds; and deeper rocky reefs with sessile invertebrates and large black coral trees.
A re-survey of sites within the North-west Marine Park Network revealed an increase in fish biomass, richness, biomass of larger fishes, coral cover and macro-invertebrate density at Ashmore Reef Marine Park (IUCN Ia). Many of these changes were not recorded at fished reference sites, suggesting the strict sanctuary zoning is having a positive effect.
Natural values
Our marine parks have a number of different values, including natural, cultural, heritage and socio-economic values. The natural values of our marine parks refer to the habitats, species and ecological communities within them, and the processes that support their connectivity, productivity and function. Below are the key datasets that help inform park managers about the natural values that exist within our network of Australian Marine Parks. For more information on other park values refer to the relevant park Management Plans on the Parks Australia website.
See which wetlands of international significance are protected by Australian Marine Parks.
Maps
The information provided by these datasets was integral in the planning and development of our national network of marine parks. Learn in detail about how scientists and marine park planners used these important marine features together to design Australia's network of marine parks, or explore the datasets for the Cartier Island Marine Park individually through the links below.
See which areas of Australia's marine environments have been World Heritage listed.
Latest maps
Since the initial planning of the Australian Marine Parks Network in 2012, new mapping data has emerged that allows us to see in finer detail the features that exist within our parks. These datasets help marine managers to understand more about what's under the surface, where there are overlaying management or protection regimes, and/or where pressures on the marine environment may be increasing.
Examine how exposure to tropical cyclone activity varies across Australian Marine Parks.
Scientific papers
The following publications contain information relevant to the Cartier Island marine park and adjacent waters. Click on the links to access to the publications.
Bryce, M and Poliseno, A. (2014).
Two new records of octocorals (Anthozoa, Octocorallia) from north-west Australia.
Clarke, R. H. and Herrod, A. (2014).
Seabirds and Shorebirds at Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island and Browse Island: Monitoring program for the Montara Well release - Ninth Post-impact Field Survey.
Moore, G. I, Morrison, S. M, Hutchins, J. B, Allen, G. R and Sampey, A. (2014).
Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: fishes.
Clarke, R. H and Herrod, A. (2013).
Seabirds and Shorebirds at Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island and Browse Island: Monitoring program for the Montara Well release - Eighth Post-impact Field Survey.
Clarke, R. H. and Herrod, A. (2013).
Seabirds and Shorebirds at Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island and Browse Island: Monitoring program for the Montara Well release - Seventh Post-impact Field Survey.
PTTEP (2013).
Montara Environmental Monitoring Program: Report of Research.
Clarke, R. H. (2012).
Seabirds and Shorebirds at Ashmore Reef and Cartier and Browse Islands: Monitoring program for the Montara Well release - Fifth Post-impact Field Survey.
Clarke, R. H. and Herrod, A. (2012).
Seabirds and Shorebirds at Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island and Browse Island: Monitoring program for the Montara Well release - Sixth Post-impact Field Survey.
Guinea, M. L. (2012).
Surveys of the sea snakes and sea turtles on reefs of the Sahul shelf, monitoring program for the montara well release timor sea.
Heyward, A, Jones, R, Travers, M, Burns, K, Suosaari, G, Colquhoun, J, Case, M, Radford, B, Meekan, M, Markey, K, Schenk, T, O'Leary, R. A, Brooks, K, Tinkler, P, Cooper, T and Emslie, M. (2012).
Montara: 2011 Shallow Reef Surveys at Ashmore.
Breen, P.A (2011).
Review of seven 1998--2009 surveys of trochus and holothurians at Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island.
Heyward, A, Radford, B, Burns, K, Colquhoun, J and Moore, C. (2010).
Montara Surveys: Final report on Benthic Surveys at Ashmore, Cartier and Seringapatam Reefs.
Berkelmans, R. R. (2009).
Interim report for 2008/09: installation and management of a system of Sea Temperature Data Loggers at Tropical and Sub-tropical Commonweath MPA's.
Richards, Z, Beger, M, Hobbs, J. P, Bowling, T, Chong-Seng, K and Pratchett, M. (2009).
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve Marine Survey 2009.
Guinea, M. L. (2007).
Sea snakes of Ashmore Reef, Hibernia Reef and Cartier Island with comments on Scott Reef.
Kospartov, M, Beger, M, Ceccarelli, D. M and Richards, Z. T. (2006).
An assessment of the distribution and abundance of the sea cucumbers, trochus, giant clams, coral, fish and invasive marine species at Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve: 2005.
Russell, B. C, Neil, K and Hilliard, R. (2004).
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve Marine and Terrestrial Introduced Species Prevention and Management Strategy.
Rees, M, Colquhoun, J, Smith, L and Heyward, A. (2003).
Surveys of Trochus, Holothuria, Giant Clams and the Coral Communities at Ashmore Reef, Cartier Reef, and Mermaid Reef, Northwestern Australia: 2003.
Australia, Commonwealth of (2002).
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plans.
Smith, L., Heyward, A. J., Rees, M. and Colquhoun, J. (2002).
Stocks of trochus and beche-de-mer at Cartier Reef: 2001 surveys.
Skewes, T. D, Dennis, D. M, Jacobs, D. R, Gordon, S. R, Taranto, T. J, Haywood, M, Pitcher, C. R, Smith, G. P, Milton, D and Poiner, I. R. (1999).
Survey and stock size estimates of the shallow reef (0-15 m deep) and shoal area (15-50 m deep) marine resources and habitat mapping within the Timor Sea MOU74 Box: Volume 1: Stock estimates and stock status..
Skewes, T. D, Grodon, S. R, McLeod, I. R, Taranto, T. J, Dennis, D. M, Jacobs, D. R, Pitcher, C. R, Haywood, M, Smith, G. P, Poiner, I. R, Milton, D, Griffin, D and Hunter, C. (1999).
Survey and stock size estimates of the shallow reef (0-15 m deep) and shoal area (15-50 m deep) marine resources and habitat mapping within the Timor Sea MOU74 Box: Volume II: Habitat mapping and coral dieback.
Allen, G. R. (1996).
New records of reef and shore fishes from north-western Australia.
Marsh, L. M. (1993).
Cnidaria, other than reef-building corals, of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island.
Marsh, L. M. (1993).
Echinoderms of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island.
Morgan, G. J and Berry, P. F. (1993).
Decapod Crustacea of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island.
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