Joseph Bonaparte Gulf Marine Park is located about 15 kilometres west of Wadeye, Northern Territory, and 90 kilometres north of Wyndham, Western Australia. It is among the shallowest of the marine parks in Australia. It consists of broad shelf terraces, channels, valleys and extensive banks which make up part of the Shaul Shelf system - the single most extensive system of banks and shoals in the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. These carbonate banks are host to highly productive reef ecosystems supporting dense sponge gardens, soft coral communities and foraging areas for threatened marine turtles and the Australian snubfin dolphin.
Research
These short articles highlight the findings from ongoing scientific research within the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf 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.
The eco-narrative series synthesises our existing knowledge of Australia's individual Marine Parks to enable managers to understand the ecological characteristics of each park and highlight knowledge gaps for future research focus.
Find out where 13 marine species have been observed in the Marine Parks of the N and NW networks.
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 Joseph Bonaparte Gulf 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 Joseph Bonaparte Gulf marine park and adjacent waters. Click on the links to access to the publications.
Heap, A. D, Nichol, S. L and Brooke, B. P. (2014).
Seabed mapping to support geological storage of carbon dioxide in offshore Australia.
Palmer, C, Parra, G. J, Rogers, T and Woinarski, J. (2014).
Collation and review of sightings and distribution of three coastal dolphin species in waters of the Northern Territory, Australia.
Proske, U, Heslop, D and Haberle, S. (2014).
A Holocene record of coastal landscape dynamics in the eastern Kimberley region, Australia.
Przeslawski, R, Alvarez, B, Battershill, C and Smith, T. (2014).
Sponge biodiversity and ecology of the Van Diemen Rise and eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, northern Australia.
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.
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.
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