Flinders Marine Park extends over 400 kilometres east of the north-east tip of Tasmania and Flinders Island. Key features of the marine park are the continental shelf and a long section of steep continental slope incised by a series of deep submarine canyons. Seafloor habitats in these areas include sheer rocky walls and large rocky outcrops that support a rich diversity of small seabed animals such as lace corals and sponges. These, alongside the large expanses of sandy and muddy sediments, are habitats to a variety of mobile fishes, and also to populations of giant crabs. Areas between 400 and 600 metres deep on the continental slope are also habitat for dogfish and gulper shark. The endangered deep-water shark, commonly known as the Harrisons dogfish, has been recorded here.
Video
As part of the National Environmental Science Program, the Marine Biodiversity Hub has undertaken a series of seabed mapping programs within marine parks. The footage in the video above related to the Flinders Marine Park, and demonstrates some of the habitats and biological communities that exist there.
Research
These short articles highlight the findings from ongoing scientific research within the Flinders 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.
Over the last decade scientists at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) have been using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to conduct photographic surveys of seafloor (benthic) communities in Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) across the South-east Marine Parks Network (the SE Network). This project used this imagery to provide the first description of the biological communities across these marine parks and how they have changed over time.
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.
Flinders Marine Park contains soft sediment and hard substrate shelf areas, canyons, deep (mesophotic) reefs, and seamounts2. It covers representative areas of four bioregions.
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 Flinders 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.
Find out where the seafloor has been mapped with sonar across the Marine Parks.
Scientific papers
The following publications contain information relevant to the Flinders marine park and adjacent waters. Click on the links to access to the publications.
McLean, D. L, Green, M, Harvey, E. S, Williams, A, Daley, R and Graham, K. J. (2015).
Comparison of baited longlines and baited underwater cameras for assessing the composition of continental slope deepwater fish assemblages off southeast Australia.
Ramos, J. E, Pecl, G. T, Semmens, J. M, Strugnell, J. M, Leon, R. I and Moltschaniwskyj, N. A. (2015).
Reproductive capacity of a marine species (Octopus tetricus) within a recent range extension area.
TOP