« North-west Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network
| Click on the North-west Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network map or select a reserve | |||
 | |||
Shark Bay Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Overview
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MARINE USERS
Transitional arrangements for new areas added to the Commonwealth marine reserve estate
From the declaration of Commonwealth marine reserves in November 2012 until management plans come into effect in July 2014, transitional arrangements apply.
- Under the transitional arrangements, there are NO CHANGES ON THE WATER for users of new areas added to the Commonwealth marine reserves estate.
- NOTE: There are no changes to management arrangements in the marine reserves that existed prior to the establishment of the new reserves, that is, the same restrictions on activities will continue to apply even where those reserves have been incorporated into new reserves.
| Name | Shark Bay Commonwealth Marine Reserve |
|---|---|
| Area | 7443 km2 |
| Depth range | 15-220 m (approx.) |
| Types of zoning |
|
Major conservation values
- Foraging areas adjacent to important breeding areas for several species of migratory seabirds
- Includes part of the migratory pathway of protected humpback whales
- Adjacent to the largest nesting area for loggerhead turtles- largest in Australia
- Provides protection to shelf and slope habitats as well as a terrace feature
- Examples of the shallower ecosystems of the Central Western Shelf Province and Central Western Transition provincial bioregions including the Zutydorp meso-scale bioregion
- The reserve also provides for connectivity between the inshore waters of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and the deeper waters of the area
Download
- Fact sheet - Shark Bay Commonwealth Marine Reserve (PDF - 73KB) | (Word - 357KB)