Marine Bioregional Planning in the East
The area
The East Marine Region covers more than 2.4 million square kilometres of water off the east coast of Queensland and New South Wales (including Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island), from the town of Bermagui to the tip of Cape York. The Region includes waters between 3 and 200 nautical miles from the coastline but does not include the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which is managed separately by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Map of the East Marine Region
Source: ERIN
Latest News
The East Marine Planning Team has begun the task of drafting the East Marine Regional Profile, using a series of reports commissioned from a number of research organisations and with input from several marine experts from a number of disciplines at the Ecological Characteristics of the East Marine Region Workshop.
For more information see the latest news update on our publications page.
Bioregions
To assist in the development of Marine Bioregional Planning in Australia, our oceans have been divided into 41 provincial bioregions. Provincial bioregions are large biogeographical areas defined by similar ecological characteristics. The East Marine Region includes 14 provincial bioregional units.
Information on the complete nation-wide regionalisation of Australia’s marine environment is available in the Integrated Coastal and Marine Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRAv.4).
Ecological features
The East Marine Region spans both tropical waters and warm temperate waters and is recognised for its globally significant marine biodiversity. Large numbers of marine organisms are unique to the area, particularly in the temperate waters off New South Wales.
The Region's biological diversity is heavily influenced by the East Australian Current (EAC). The EAC flows south through the tropical Coral Sea towards the temperate regions with "cold core" and "warm core" eddies peeling off into the Tasman Sea along the way. This is the largest ocean current close to the coast of Australia, shaping the ecology of both marine and terrestrial environments over a wide area.
Oceans in the Region are relatively low in nutrients and primary productivity. Exceptions occur where water bodies converge and mix to create "hot spots" of primary productivity containing chlorophyll rich waters. These seasonal and transient upwellings are significant features of the East Marine Region and occur periodically near places like Cape Byron, Smoky Cape and Sugar Loaf Point, drawing nutrient-rich water from depths of 200 metres or more.
A chain of seamounts runs parallel to the outer shelf from Fraser Island south to Sydney. Seamounts are key geological features in the Region, and their interaction with ocean currents creates a variety of habitats on their slopes. Detritus, nutrients and organisms are transported to the seamounts by deep water currents. These support large aggregations of deepwater fish such as oreos and orange roughy.
A number of geographically isolated oceanic reefs are also present in the East Marine Region, mainly in the Coral Sea. Water depths in the Region range from 200 metres along the shelf to more than 5800 metres in the deep holes and valleys between New South Wales and Lord Howe Island. Other geomorphological features include canyons, basins, plateaus, ridges, saddles, the continental shelf, slope and terraces.
Many large predators (e.g. whales, seals, sharks, marlin, swordfish and tuna) live in and migrate through the Region, although they were considerably more abundant before European settlement of the Australian continent and the development of industrial scale fishing in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Development of the East Marine Bioregional Plan
Once the Regional Profile is published, stakeholders will be engaged in the development of a Draft Plan that will propose a range of measures through which the Australian Government can best manage the environmental challenges facing the Region. These will include consideration of the full range of legislative and policy "tools" available to deal with current and future threats to the Region's biodiversity and ways in which the Government can give greater certainty to industries planning future operations in the Region.
The Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides a wide range of options for dealing with the challenges posed by immediate environmental threats as well as the longer term need for greater sustainability in our use of the oceans. One of the greatest challenges is to apply the right suite of measures to ensure that the environment is adequately protected and doing so in a way that is economically and socially viable and an efficient use of public resources. Taking a "system-wide" approach to conservation and environmental management through Marine Bioregional Planning provides an opportunity to deliver an integrated package of measures.
More information
As part of the Marine Bioregional Planning process, a Regional Profile will be developed, describing the Region's key habitats, species, natural processes, heritage values and human uses. Download the brochure about the East Marine Region and the process for developing the East Marine Bioregional Plan.
Marine Protected Areas in the East
A key component of the planning process will be the development of a network of representative Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within the Commonwealth waters of Region. Apart from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, there are currently siz Australian Government MPAs in the East:
| Name of reserve | Date Declared | Area km2 |
|---|---|---|
| Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve | 1982 | 8,850 |
| Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve | 1987 | 1,880 |
| Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve | 1982 | 8,430 |
| Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) | 2000 | 3,000 |
| Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) | 1993 | 1,568 |
| Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve | 2007 | 3.2 |
The existing Australian Government MPAs in the Region were established to protect areas of outstanding conservation significance (generally reefs or habitats for particular species). A mature network of representative MPAs will protect both these and other "special" places as well as examples of each bioregion's ecology. The representative network will also provide for a network of highly protected scientific reference sites representing the diversity of the region.
The Regional Profile will contain the detailed specifications (or criteria) for the development of the regional MPA network. Specific proposals for new MPAs will be developed during the subsequent planning stages and will follow, and be informed by, consultation with stakeholders. Draft proposals for a network of MPAs, along with analysis of the social and economic impact of all proposals, will be published in the Draft Plan and then be subject to formal consultation.
While not strictly a model for other regions, the Representative MPA network for Australia's South-east Marine Region does provide one example of an off-shore MPA network developed on a similar policy basis.
Future planning
The East Marine Bioregional Plan will allow interested people to understand the conservation values in a marine region and the priorities for their protection. Armed with this knowledge, industry and decision-makers will be better equipped to plan, approve and undertake development activity in a way that ensures our unique marine environment is protected for the use and enjoyment of future generations.
Register your interest
Stay in touch with the latest news on the East Marine Bioregional Plan - receive e-mail alerts when new information on the East Marine Region becomes available on our website.
See also
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