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Marine Protected Areas
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East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve covers 4,137 square kilometres of Commonwealth ocean territory and contains representative samples of an extensive network of canyons, continental slope and escarpment in depths from 600 metres to deeper than 4,000 metres.
The East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve has impressive geomorphic features such as rocky-substrate habitat, submarine canyons, escarpments and a knoll which juts out from the base of the continental slope. These amazing features are 600 to 4000 metres below sea level.
The East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve area includes both warm and temperate waters and free-floating aquatic plants or microscopic plants (i.e. phytoplankton) communities. Complex seasonality in oceanographic patterns influences biodiversity and local productivity. There are summertime incursions of the warm East Australian Current and a wintertime cascade of cold water from Bass Strait that sinks along the upper slope and forms a temperature front. This cold front helps nutrients come to the surface and in turn this supports a diverse phytoplankton community and other sea life. The area may also include foraging area for wandering albatross.
| Proclamation date | 28 June 2007 (to come into effect on 3 September 2007) |
|---|---|
| Size (current) | 413,700 Ha (4,137 km2) |
| IUCN category | VI – Multiple Use Zone |
| Biogeographic context | Southeast Transition |
| Management plan status | In development |
| World Heritage | No |