Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve
Overview
The Australian Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) lies in a remote and stormy part of the globe, near the conspicuous meeting-point of Antarctic and temperate ocean waters. The islands were unknown to humanity until the 19th century. HIMI is an external territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean at around 53° 05' S and 73° 30' E. It lies about 1500 km north of Antarctica and over 4000 km south-west of Australia.
Heard Island (area 368 km2) is the principal island of HIMI. Mawson Peak, at 2745 m, is the summit of Big Ben, an active, towering volcano that dominates the group, with a thick mantle of snow and glacial ice contrasting black volcanic rocks in a startling array of forms and shapes.
McDonald Island (area 1 km2), 43.5 km due west of Heard Island, is the major island in the McDonald Islands group, which also includes Flat Island and Meyer Rock. At its highest point it rises to about 230 m. The McDonald Islands, also volcanic in origin and, like Heard Island, an undisturbed habitat for sub-Antarctic plants and animals, consists of two distinct parts joined by a narrow central isthmus.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve (HIMI) was declared on 16 October 2002 to protect the conservation values of the reserve area, the territorial sea and the adjacent Exclusive Economic Zone (HIMI EEZ) including
- the World Heritage and cultural values of the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- the unique features of the benthic and pelagic environments
- representative portions of the different marine habitat types and
- marine areas used by land-based marine predators for local foraging activities.
The reserve covers 65000 square kilometres and is listed as a category 1a protected area (strict nature reserve). Unlike most marine protected areas, the management of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve is the statutory responsibility of the Australian Antarctic Division.
Also in this section
Existing Commonwealth reserves under the EPBC Act
Marine protected areas
Temperate East Marine Region
- Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve
- Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters)
- Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)
- Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Coral Sea
- Coral Sea Conservation Zone
- Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve
- Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve
North-west Marine Region
- Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
and
Cartier Island Marine Reserve - Mermaid Reef Marine National Nature Reserve
- Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)