A giant starfish! (Pintaceraster gracilis)
A giant starfish! (Pintaceraster gracilis)

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Benthic sled samples from the Kimberley Marine Park
Benthic sled samples from the Kimberley Marine Park

Examples of what was found in the benthic sleds. Top: RV Solander crew release the sample from the sled net into the sorting tray on deck. Left: A sled dominated by feather stars, brittle stars and sea stars. Right: A sled dominated by sponges and soft corals

© courtesy AIMS
Brittlestars in the Kimberley Marine Park
Brittlestars in the Kimberley Marine Park

Brittlestars

CC BY NC SA by AIMS
Crab in a sponge
Crab in a sponge

Reefs are incredibly important habitats. They provide a hard surface to which benthic organisms such as corals, kelps and sponges can attach, and once these organisms establish they provide complex 3D structures which can alter the environment by influencing factors such as water flow and the amount of light reaching the seafloor. A healthy reef ecosystem can contain thousands of different species of fish and invertebrates which are well adapted to these unique conditions, and use these habitats for shelter, foraging and recruitment grounds. This crab in the Kimberley Marine Park has made it's home inside a sponge, where it was found hiding with a host of juveniles.

© courtesy CSIRO
Critters from the Kimberly Marine Park
Critters from the Kimberly Marine Park

These are examples of different organisms that were sampled during a Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) trip to Lynher Bank, approximately 120 nauticle miles north of Broome. This area is an important foraging ground for the Flatback turtles, and the trip focused on collecting samples from the seaflooor and water column to determine what food is available to these protected species. Clockwise from the top left is a crab, fish, seapen, cuttlefish, feather star, crab, jellyfish, octopus and nudibranch. The chemical composition of these samples, and many others, will be tested and compared to that found in flatback turtle tissue to determine if the turtles are eating these organisms.

CC BY by CSIRO
Flatback turtle
Flatback turtle

Flatback turtle (Natator depressus)

© courtesy Phillipa Wilson
Flatback turtle
Flatback turtle

Flatback turtle on an emergent reef

CC BY by AIMS
Flatback turtle with satellite tag
Flatback turtle with satellite tag

Flatback turtle with satellite tag

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Habitat utilisation distributions of flatback turtles in the Kimberley marine region
Habitat utilisation distributions of flatback turtles in the Kimberley marine region

This map shows the home ranges of the 11 tracked flatback turtles during the inter-nesting period in waters off the Kimberley coast in northwest Australia. The coloured contours represent the 25, 50, 75 and 95 % habitat utilisation distributions of the turtles, and the Australian Marine Park boundaries are shown in black. For more information on about this image see Thums et al. 2017.

© courtesy Adapted from Thumbs et al. 2017
Istigobius decoratus
Istigobius decoratus

Istigobius decoratus, known as the Decorated Sandgoby is found on sand patches near reefs.

CC BY by Ian Shaw
Pleurosicya mossambica
Pleurosicya mossambica

Pleurosicya mossambica also known as the toothy goby or the Mozambique ghost goby is found on many substrates, including corals, sponges, giant clams and seaweeds, and can vary colour according to the substrate.

CC BY by Ian Shaw
Pretty in pink
Pretty in pink

A starfish, sponge and crinoid community in the Kimberley Marine Park.

CC BY by AIMS
Soft coral and sponge community, Kimberly Marine Park
Soft coral and sponge community, Kimberly Marine Park

Soft coral and sponge community

CC BY NC SA by AIMS