Shark Bay, Western Australia SharkInscribed on the World HeritageBay, List in 1991 Western Australia

53 Shark Bay, Western Australia

Shark Bay lies at the Shark Bay, Western Australia was inscribed on the World Australian mammals, five are found on Bernier and Dorre most westerly point of the Heritage List in 1991, and is one of the few properties listed Islands. These are the boodie or burrowing bettong, rufous Australian continent. for all four outstanding natural universal values: hare wallaby, banded hare wallaby, the Shark Bay mouse and the western barred bandicoot. Its vast seagrass meadows • as an outstanding example representing the major stages are the largest and richest in the earth's evolutionary history The Shark Bay region has a rich avifauna, and over 230 species or 35 per cent of Australia's bird species have been Sharkin the world, providing • as Bayan outstanding example representing significant recorded. A number of birds attain their northern limit at safe haven for one of the ongoing ecological and biological processes Shark Bay including the regent parrot, western yellow robin, world’s largest dugong • as an example of superlative natural phenomena blue-breasted fairy wren and striated pardalote. populations. • containing important and significant habitats for in situ The region is noted for the diversity of its amphibians and Shark Bay contains, in one conservation of biological diversity. reptiles, supporting nearly 100 species. Again, many species place, the world’s most are at the northern or southern limit of their range. The area Shark Bay is located on the most western point of the coast diverse and abundant is also significant for the variety of burrowing species, such of Australia and covers 23,000 km2. The area represents a examples of Stromatolites, as the sandhill frog, which apparently needs no surface meeting point of three major climatic regions and forms a the oldest life form on water. Shark Bay is home to three endemic sand swimming change-over between two major groups of plant species – Earth. It is the only skinks, and 10 of the 30 dragon lizard species found in the South West and Eremaean provinces. place in the world with Australia. The number of species that reach the end of their range is a a range of Stromatolites The 12 species of seagrass found in Shark Bay make it one major feature of the region's flora. Twenty-five per cent (283 comparable with fossils in of the most diverse seagrass assemblages in the world. species) of the area’s vascular plants are at the limits of ancient rocks. Seagrass covers over 4,000 square kilometres of the bay, their range in Shark Bay. Many vegetation associations and and the 1,030 square kilometres Wooramel Seagrass Bank is A refuge for many plant species are found only in the areas between different the largest structure of its type in the world. rare and endangered biological zones. species, the Shark Seagrass has contributed significantly to the evolution The area south of Freycinet Estuary contains the unique type Bay area contains of Shark Bay. It has modified the physical, chemical and of vegetation known as tree heath. There are also at least 51 biological environment as well as the geology and has led significant populations of species endemic to the region and others that are considered to the development of major marine features such as Faure approximately one fifth new to science. of Australia’s threatened Sill. Faure Island is an emergent portion of the ‘Faure Sill’, The Shark Bay region is an area of major zoological mammal species. a sandbar overlaying sandstone that crosses the eastern importance, primarily due to habitats on peninsulas and gulf of Shark Bay from Peron Peninsula to the mainland. islands being isolated from the disturbance that has Interestingly, it is this sandbar that has created the vast occurred elsewhere. Of the 26 species of endangered areas of sandy hypersaline shallows that support the famous Stromatolites of Shark Bay.

54 AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE Shark Bay, Western Australia 55 , 2 Lochman Transparencies Lochman Lochman Transparencies Lochman B. Cropp, GBRMPA Cropp, B. Lochman Transparencies Lochman Lochman Transparencies Lochman The largest seagrass banks in the world, covering 4,000 km 4,000 covering world, in the banks seagrass largest strip: The top Peron the onto reintroduced successfully been has Bilby Greater The top: Peninsula Bay Shark over Sunset centre: above Bay in Shark is found Dugong of populations largest world’s the of One above: grasses sea on feed they where Shark Bay, Western Australia Australia Western Bay, Shark page: title are found in Shark Bay Bay in Shark are found day day - to - forms which lived some 3,500 million million 3,500 some lived which forms - re representative of life of representative re he Western Australian Government is responsible for day for responsible is Government Australian Western he management of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. Heritage World Bay Shark the of management years ago. Hamelin Pool contains the most diverse and abundant abundant and diverse most the contains Pool Hamelin ago. years world. the in forms Stromatolite of examples of population The fauna. marine its for renowned is Bay Shark the in largest the of one is example, for dugong, 10,000 about Mia. Monkey at particularly abound, dolphins and world, their in post staging a as Bay the use whales Humpback past by reduced was species This coast. the along migration around to 20,000 of population estimated an from exploitation now is and recovering is population The 1962. in whales 800 3,000. to up at estimated their near Bay Shark in found are turtles loggerhead and Green beaches the on nesting turtles loggerhead with limits, southern is Island Hartog Dirk Peninsula. Peron and Island Hartog Dirk of Western in turtles loggerhead for site nesting important most the Australia. stages larval for ground nursery important an also is Bay Shark medusae. and fishes crustaceans, of T The barrier banks associated with the growth of seagrass over the the over seagrass of growth the with associated banks barrier The low and evaporation high rainfall, low the and – years 5,000 last and Pool Hamelin hypersaline the produced have – flushing tidal the to conducive is condition hypersaline This Bight. L’haridon produce to sediment bind and trap which cyanobacteria of growth Stromatolites. including structures and mats of variety a They earth. on life of form oldest the represent Stromatolites a