]]
Marine Protected Areas
The most recent management plan was prepared in 2002 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This management plan expired on 25 June 2009 and interim management arrangements will apply until a new management plan is in place.
Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Cartier) is located in the West Sahul region of the Indian Ocean at 12°31'50.8" S, 123°33'18.8" E. The island is about 350 km off Australia's Kimberley coast, 115 km south of the Indonesian island of Roti and 45 km from Ashmore Reef.
Cartier covers an area of 167 square kilometres and provides varied habitats that support a diverse range of flora and fauna. Habitats include one unvegetated sand cay and a mature reef flat with two shallow pools immediately to the north-east of the cay. Cartier and Ashmore Reef are regarded as biodiversity hotspots supporting a diverse array of terrestrial and marine species, in particular marine turtles, sea snakes, reef building corals, fish and other marine invertebrate fauna.
