Marine Protected Areas
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Department of the Environment and Heritage, May 2005
ISBN 0 642 55079 4
The Great Australian Bight Marine Park is part of Australia's National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA). The Australian, State and Territory governments are developing the NRSMPA cooperatively within their respective marine jurisdictions. The aim of the system is to contribute to the long-term ecological viability of marine and estuarine systems, to maintain ecological processes and systems, and to protect Australia's biological diversity at all levels. Marine reserves provide important reference areas for scientific studies and long-term environmental monitoring. As part of this system, the Marine Park helps to conserve ecosystems that are characteristic of the Great Australian Bight region.
The temperate marine environments off Southern Australia are not well represented in the existing marine reserve system. These environments are in relatively pristine condition due to low levels of human use, which arises from their isolation and difficult coastal access.