Ningaloo Marine Park
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Male whale shark, about 6 metres (20 ft) long
Map showing the Ningaloo Marine Park. The shaded area is a National Park Zone ('no take' zone).[1]
LocationAustralia
Coordinates22°37′09″S 113°32′46″E / 22.6191°S 113.5461°E / -22.6191; 113.5461[2]
Area2,435 km2 (940 sq mi)
Established20 May 1987
OperatorParks Australia
Websiteparksaustralia.gov.au/marine/parks/north-west/ningaloo/

The Ningaloo Marine Park (formerly known as the Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve) is an Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia, and west of the Ningaloo Coast.[3][4] The marine park covers an area of 2,435 km2 (940 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN category IV. It is one of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.[5]

A marine park of the same name lies directly east, but is managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife of Western Australia.

Conservation values

Species and habitat

  • Has a high abundance of Manta Rays within lagoons and outer reef areas.[6]
  • Foraging areas for vulnerable and migratory whale sharks.
  • Foraging areas and adjacent to important nesting sites for marine turtles.
  • Includes part of the migratory pathway of the protected humpback whale.[7]

Bioregions and ecology

The reserve includes shallow shelf environments and provides protection for shelf and slope habitats, as well as pinnacle and terrace seafloor features. Examples of the seafloor habitats and communities of the Central Western Shelf Transition provincial bioregion.[7]

Conservation Issues

Climate change is of high concern within this marine park due to effects such as ocean acidification, flooding, storms, and increased wave energy.[6]

History

The marine park was originally proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 on 20 May 1987 as the Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters). The marine park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 as a Commonwealth Marine Reserve and renamed Ningaloo Marine Park on 9 October 2017.[5]

Summary of protection zones

The Ningaloo Marine Park has been assigned IUCN protected area category IV. However, within the marine park there are two protection zones, each zone has an IUCN category and related rules for managing activities to ensure the protection of marine habitats and species.[5]

The following table is a summary of the zoning rules within the Ningaloo Marine Park:[5]

Zone IUCN Activities permitted Total area
(km2)
Vessel transiting Recreational fishing Commercial fishing Commercial aquaculture Commercial tourism Mining
National Park II Yes No No No excludes fishing, with approval No 36,050
Recreational Use II Yes Yes No No excludes fishing, with approval No 1,170
External link: Zoning and rules for the North-west Marine Parks Network

See also

References

  1. ↑ Map data: Sanctuary IUCN Ia and National Park IUCN II zones ('no take' zones) from Australian Marine Parks, (2018) Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy. CC BY 4.0. http://www.environment.gov.au/fed/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid=%7BCD8877F3-8C39-4A20-A53F-070FBEE5AF3C%7D
  2. ↑ "Relation: Ningaloo Marine Park (8426821)". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  3. ↑ Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy (2018). Ningaloo Marine Park (PDF) (Map). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)" (PDF). Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. June 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "North-west Marine Parks Network Management Plan 2018" (PDF). Parks Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Ningaloo Coast, Australia", Dictionary of Geotourism, Singapore: Springer Singapore, p. 439, 11 November 2019, doi:10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1746, ISBN 978-981-13-2537-3, retrieved 11 February 2021
  7. 1 2 "Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve". environment.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU). Retrieved 17 August 2018.
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