Australian Marine Parks

by Edgar, Graham

• ISBN13: 9781925546866
• ISBN10: 1925546861
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-04-28
• Publisher: New Holland Publishers

Summary

As an island contInent AustralIa is uniquely privileged in possessing extensive tropical and temperate reef ecosystems, and this book is a stunning visual celebration of the wonderful and vibrant life that they support. All Australians recognise and apprecIate the environmental value of coral reefs, as represented by the Great Barrier Reef. Less appreciated, but no less important, is the network of other reefs surrounding Australia that is home to tens of thousands of species, many of whIch live nowhere else. These incredibly rich communities of plants and anImals support fishing, tourism, recreation, education, and a general sense of wellbeing for many people. This beautiful book, published in association with the Reef Life Survey Foundation, devotes a chapter to every key reef system around Australia, with maps and graphics, hundreds of stunning photos, and vivid written accounts. Written and illustrated by experts with decades of experience makes it a must-have title for divers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts everywhere. The book is also a landmark publication, serving to highlight Australia's unique global responsibility to safeguard marine biodiversity.

Author Biography

Graham Edgar is the leading Australian marine ecology professor, with over 150 publications including New Holland’ s Australian Marine Life of Temperate Waters, which won three Whitley Awards. He is Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, President of the Reef Life Survey Foundation, and one of only three scientists awarded the most prestigious awards for both marine science (Australian Marine Science Association Jubilee Award) and environmental science (Eureka Award).

Table of Contents

Introduction 6 Australia’ s living marine heritage 6 Reef Life Survey (RLS) 10 Australian Marine Parks 14 North-west Marine Parks Network 16 Ashmore Reef Marine Park 18 Focus on: The mystery of disappearing sea snakes 28 Cartier Island Marine Park 30 Kimberley Marine Park 37 Mermaid Reef Marine Park 38 Focus on: Cryptic fishes 48 North Marine Parks Network 50 Oceanic Shoals Marine Park 52 Arafura Marine Park 56 Arnhem Marine Park 60 Wessel Marine Park 68 Focus on: Crown-of-thorns sea star 69 Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park 70 West Cape York Marine Park 74 Coral Sea Marine Park 76 Boot Reef 79 Ashmore Reef 86 Osprey Reef 98 Bougainville Reef 104 Holmes Reefs 108 Flinders Reefs 110 Herald Cays 114 Willis Islets 119 Focus on: Blackwater diving in the Coral Sea 121 Magdelaine Cays 125 Coringa Islets 128 Abington Reef 132 Diamond Islets 134 Lihou Reef 140 Marion Reef 144 Mellish Reef 150 Saumarez Reef 154 Frederick Reefs 162 Kenn Reefs 166 Wreck Reefs 170 Cato Reef 186 Focus on: Nudibranchs and sapsuckers 190 South-west Marine Parks Network 192 Geographe Marine Park 194 Temperate East Marine Parks Network 202 Solitary Islands Marine Park 204 Cod Grounds Marine Park 208 Lord Howe Marine Park 212 Norfolk Marine Park 226 South-east Marine Parks Network 240 Freycinet Marine Park 242 Macquarie Island Marine Park 246 Acknowledgements 250 References 251 Index 253