Review of Existing Ecological Information for the Proposed Recherche Archipelago Marine Conservation Reserve
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MARINE RESERVE IMPLEMENTATION: WA SOUTH COAST & EUCLA REVIEW OF EXISTING ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION FOR THE PROPOSED RECHERCHE ARCHIPELAGO MARINE CONSERVATION RESERVE Literature Review: MRI/WSC,EUC/SIN,RAR-51/2001 A project partially funded through the Natural Heritage Trust's Coast and Clean Seas Marine Protected Area Programme Prepared by S Lee & K P Bancroft May 2001 Marine Conservation Branch Department of Conservation and Land Management 47 Henry Street, Fremantle Western Australia 6160 EEE MARINE RESERVE IMPLEMENTATION: WA SOUTH COAST & EUCLA REVIEW OF EXISTING ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION FOR THE PROPOSED RECHERCHE ARCHIPELAGO MARINE CONSERVATION RESERVE Literature Review: MRI/WSC,EUC/SIN,RAR-51/2001 A project partially funded through the Natural Heritage Trust's Coast and Clean Seas Marine Protected Area Programme Prepared by S Lee & K P Bancroft May 2001 Marine Conservation Branch Department of Conservation and Land Management 47 Henry Street, Fremantle Western Australia 6160 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Direction · Dr Chris Simpson, Manager, Marine Conservation Branch, Nature Conservation Division, Department of Conservation and Land Management. Funding · The review of existing ecological information for the Recherche Archipelago region was partially funded by a grant through the Natural Heritage Trust's Coast and Clean Seas, Marine Protected Area Programme. · The Department of Conservation and Land Management supports the planning and the pre- declaration processes for a marine protected area in the Recherche Archipelago region with the provision of technical, logistical and human resources. Other support · The authors would like thank Mr Nick D'Adamo (Department of Conservation and Land Management), Dr Euan Harvey (University of Western Australia) and Dr Gary Kendrick (University of Western Australia) for reviewing this report and providing constructive comments. Cover: Copyright Eva Boogaard This report may be cited as: Lee, S. and Bancroft, K.P. (2001). Review of existing ecological information for the proposed Recherche Archipelago marine conservation reserve. Literature Review. MRI/WSC,EUC/SIN,RAR-51/2001. (Marine Conservation Branch, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Fremantle, Western Australia). Unpublished report. Copies of this report may be obtained from: Marine Conservation Branch Department of Conservation and Land Management 47 Henry St., Fremantle, Western Australia, 6160. Ph: 61-8-9432 5100; Fax: 61-8-9430 5408 Review of the existing ecological information for the Recherche Archipelago region Lee, S. & Bancroft, K.P. SUMMARY In 1994, the Marine Parks and Reserves Selection Working Group (MPRSWG) recommended that the Stokes Inlet and Recherche Archipelago regions be considered for reservation as marine conservation reserves (CALM, 1994). The MPRSWG suggested that Stokes and Torradup Inlets have high conservation values as representatives of the south coast semi-permanently closed lagoonal and riverine estuaries. Stokes Inlet supports a diverse aquatic flora and fauna, has a high scenic value, is an important element of the scenic quality of the surrounding national park and has considerable value for its recreational fishing (CALM, 1994). The MPRSWG recommended that: ‘The State coastal waters adjacent to the Stokes National Park, encompassing Margaret Cove, Dunster Castle Bay and Fanny Cove, and including the tidal parts of Stokes Inlet and Torradup Inlet, be considered for reservation as a marine reserve for the purpose of conservation of flora and fauna and public recreation, and managed in conjunction with the national park.’ With regards to the Recherche Archipelago, the MPRSWG believed that the reservation of these waters could be justified on the grounds that the habitats are diverse and that added protection would be provided for the Australian sea lion, New Zealand fur seal and seabird colonies. However, with the limited information available, the MPRSWG was unable to identify parts of the Recherche Archipelago which were of high conservation value. Therefore it was concluded that the selection of specific areas would be unwise and that the reservation of the entire area as a multiple use marine reserve was warranted (CALM, 1994). Accordingly the MPRSWG recommended that: ‘….the waters of the Recherche Archipelago between Butty Head in the west and Israelite Bay in the east, extending to the limit of the State Territorial Sea, including the areas of State waters surrounding the outer islands but excluding the Port of Esperance, should be considered for reservation as a marine reserve for multiple purposes including conservation of flora and public recreation.’ Under the Western Australian Government’s marine and conservation strategy, detailed in New Horizons-The way ahead in marine conservation and management (1998), there is a requirement for: ‘….extensive assessment, community consultation and management planning before a new marine conservation reserve can be established'. An essential component of this being: ‘A comprehensive assessment of the area’s biological and economic resources and social values being carried out’. Consequently this review partially addresses this essential component by presenting a summary of the existing ecological information for the Stokes Inlet and Recherche Archipelago region. The information for this review has been predominantly complied from literature searches, published material, CALM data and anecdotal information. I \\CALM-FREM-1\SHAREDDAT\144-Marine Conservation Branch\Shared Data\Current_MCB_reports\MRI\mri_5101\mri_5101.doc 16:34 08/08/01 Review of the existing ecological information for the Recherche Archipelago region Lee, S. & Bancroft, K.P. This review collates the information available for benthic habitats, marine flora and fauna, estuaries, coastal wetlands and coastal terrestrial biota. It highlights the gaps in ecological information, particularly: 1. The poor coverage of the existing benthic habitat mapping, and; 2. The lack of information on the abundance and distribution of marine flora and fauna found within the study area. This review will be utilised as a resource document for the planning process in the implementation of the proposed Stokes Inlet and Recherche Archipelago marine conservation reserve. II \\CALM-FREM-1\SHAREDDAT\144-Marine Conservation Branch\Shared Data\Current_MCB_reports\MRI\mri_5101\mri_5101.doc 16:34 08/08/01 Review of the existing ecological information for the Recherche Archipelago region Lee, S. & Bancroft, K.P. TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY................................................................................................................................................................................ I LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................................V LIST OF APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................................V 1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 STUDY AREA..............................................................................................................................................................1 1.3 CLIMATE.....................................................................................................................................................................2 1.4 COASTAL GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY ........................................................................................................2 1.5 DRAINAGE AND GROUNDWATER............................................................................................................................5 1.6 OCEANOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................................6 2 WATER QUALITY........................................................................................................................................................7 3 ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES .............................................................................................................................7 3.1 BIOGEOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................7 3.2 BROADSCALE MARINE ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES............................................................................................8 4 MARINE AND COASTAL FAUNA........................................................................................................................11 4.1 MARINE MAMMALS.................................................................................................................................................11 4.1.1 Cetaceans........................................................................................................................................................11 Whales........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Dolphins.......................................................................................................................................................................