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Geographe 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 | Geographe Commonwealth Marine Reserve |
|---|---|
| Area | 977 km2 |
| Depth range | <15-70 m (approx.) |
| Types of zoning |
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Major conservation values
- Important foraging areas for the:
- threatened soft-plumaged petrel
- migratory wedge-tailed shearwater
- Important pre-migration aggregation area for the migratory flesh-footed shearwater
- Important migratory habitat for the protected humpback whale and blue whale
- Representation of the South-west Shelf Province on the continental shelf as well as the Leeuwin-Naturaliste meso-scale bioregion.
- Two key ecological features:
- Commonwealth marine environment within and adjacent to Geographe Bay (high benthic productivity, high biodiversity, feeding, resting, breeding and nursery aggregations)
- western rock lobster habitat (species with an important ecological role)
- Representation of the seagrass habitats of the Geographe Bay key ecological feature, which in this location extend the furthest into Commonwealth waters
Download reserve fact sheet
- Fact sheet - Geographe Commonwealth Marine Reserve (PDF - 74KB) | (Word - 356KB)