Wild blue yonder Fifteen underwater places for protection in Australia’s spectacular north west Marine icons of north west Australia 1 Shark Bay – Dugong haven 2 Wallaby Saddle – Sperm whale feast 3 Ningaloo and Canyons – Whale shark holiday 4 Exmouth Plateau and Northern Montebello Trough – Realm of the unknown 5 Barrow, Lowendal and Montebello Islands – Turtle breeding haven 6 Dampier Archipelago – Marine life aplenty 7 Argo Abyssal Plain – 50 million years of history 8 Cape Keraudren to Roebuck Bay – Snubfin dolphin playground 9 Dampier Peninsula – Fish to rival the Great Barrier Reef 2 10 Offshore atolls – Life on the edge 11 Northern calving grounds – A humpback haven 12 Browse Island – Ocean mammal metropolis 13 North Kimberley – Flying fish fiesta 14 East Kimberley – Flat-top mountain sea country 15 Bonaparte Basin – Limestone pinnacle productivity 10 15 14 13 10 12 7 • Wyndham 11 9 10 • Broome 8 4 6 • Port Hedland 5 Australians love the sea and all the goodness it brings – fresh air, healthy food and all sorts of outdoor fun and leisure. Successive Commonwealth governments • Exmouth over the past 20 years have committed to the 3 creation of a network of marine sanctuaries around Australia. This network of marine sanctuaries will meet the needs of our unique marine life as well as our international obligations to marine conservation. With more sea than land under our government’s care, it’s an important responsibility. 1 The opportunity exists now to deliver on this long-standing commitment. The Marine Bioregional Planning Process can deliver a world class network of large marine sanctuaries to protect the spectacular north west from oil and gas, fishing and trawling impacts – securing • Kalbarri its future for generations to come. Wild Blue Yonder has been prepared by an alliance of 13 conservation groups to highlight the extraordinary underwater values of this remote and spectacular region, and to encourage their protection. Seafloor background created using Google Earth © 2011 Whereis ® Sensis Pty Ltd Data SIO, NoAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO © 2011 Europa Technologies © 2011 Tele Atlas Our precious north west A multitude of marine habitats Imagine a place far from where most Australians the major marine transport system for most of our live, that is relatively untouched, filled with marine life that have a floating stage after hatching extraordinary creatures, where islands are too from eggs. numerous to name and where new scientific discoveries are not beyond the imagination. Ruled by tides This is the reality of Australia’s north west. The north west boasts huge surface tides of up to 14 metres. Deep below the surface of the sea, still Swept away larger waves form, up to 75 metres high – creating Our north west seas are shaped by their unusual a dynamic, changing environment that moves currents – the two signature currents of the north west water around quickly and connects deepsea fish flow southwards, or ‘against the norm’. The northern communities to mud loving birds. current, the Indonesian ‘throughflow’, brings water rich in marine life from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean Boom and bust and helps create huge tides that mould both the Normally low in nutrients, north west coastal seas environment and its wildlife. Running south from the can experience a boom in life when flushed with north west Cape, the Leeuwin current is the longest sudden bursts of rich sediments. Nutrients feed continuous coastal current in the world. Currents are microorganisms such as plankton, which in turn are food for larger creatures like fish, sharks, dolphins and whales. The effects of these nutrient booms can hang around for months, creating a tropical feeding frenzy up the food chain. A haven for rare species The north west is home to many nationally protected species in danger of becoming extinct. These include the spectacular whale shark – the world’s largest fish – and 17 species of seahorse and pipefish. Other protected species include 21 species of dolphins and whales, as well as 80 seabird species that visit the area. One third of all types of seasnakes in our oceans, 20% of the world’s sharks, and six of the seven turtle species in the world are found in our north west waters. The north west shelf has one of the largest breeding populations of hawksbill turtles in the world, as well as significant rookeries for green, loggerhead and flatback turtles. The Kimberley coast is the nursery for the largest humpback whale population in the world and Shark Bay is home to the largest remaining population of dugong in the world. Ancient coral reefs Formed 210 million years ago in the late Triassic Period, the reefs of the north west are four times older than the Great Barrier Reef. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, they include different types of reef – based on coralline algae in the north and hard corals in the survival of coral reefs as ocean warming forces tropical south. species from the coral triangle to move south. Along A global refuge for corals with the corals will come the hundreds of thousands of species that are dependent on these coral reefs. Coral reefs are known as the rainforests of the sea – A network of marine sanctuaries in our northern they provide homes to 25% of the world’s marine life. waters will give tropical marine species the best Yet coral reefs and their communities are threatened chance to migrate south and survive the warming of worldwide, with two thirds predicted to collapse within our oceans. the lifetime of our grandchildren. At present less than 1% of the north west region The Indo-Pacific area north of Australia is known as the is protected from extraction by the oil and gas Coral Triangle. It features three quarters of the world’s industry, fishing and trawling. coral reef marine life and is the centre of global marine diversity for corals, fish and crustaceans (crabs, Left: Dugong. Photo Scott Whiting prawns and lobsters). Above: Tropical north west island. Photo Scott Whiting The oceanic shelf atolls in the north west are Below: Islands of the Kimberley. Photo Glenn Walker evolutionary stepping stones linking Western Australia and Indonesia, and may be the key to the global North west sea country and Indigenous Traditional Owners A culture rich and diverse The north west is traditional saltwater country for at least 37 distinct Indigenous language groups Padjarimanu – calling the currents living in and around coastal towns and settlements “The Yinigudura West Thalanyji from Shark Bay to the Northern Territory border. peoples’ history will always Their unique spiritual, economic and customary be at the lighthouse site connections to the coasts and sea country are an commonly known as Vlamingh invaluable store of knowledge, adding to everyone’s Head on North West Cape understanding of the lands and seas of this area. near Exmouth. But from the dreamtime until this day, it The various Traditional Owners have occupied the is known as Padjarimanu, areas throughout the north west for varying times, a special place which calls but we know that their connection to the marine the currents into the Gulf and is the home of environment, its species, the ocean currents and the snake Kiljaru who still lives in waters in the movements has evolved over 50,000 years – from bay off Padjarimanu. The peoples of this region a time when the tide level was around 100 metres and the traditional owners of the lands, seas lower than it is today. Significant ‘Dreaming tracks’ and islands along the Western Australian coast or Songlines are found across this region and they should be properly recognised and engaged with sustain the culture and identity of many groups. to ensure that our country and its waters are Many Traditional Owners engage in the protection and properly respected and protected.” management of their sea country through Indigenous – John Dale. Traditional Owner, Exmouth 2011 conservation initiatives. The application of the collective knowledge of the Traditional Owners will be crucial to the ongoing protection and management of north west sea country. The plans should include Marine Indigenous Protected Areas, co-managed sanctuary zones and marine The Commonwealth’s approach to the protection resource use agreements. of the north west bioregion must embrace the Above: John Dale. Photo North West Cape Exmouth Aboriginal rights, interests and sea country connections of the Corporation Indigenous Traditional Owners. Engagement with Traditional Owners should be well-resourced, take Below: ‘Ningaloo Dreaming’ by Benson Dickerson, 2010. Image kindly provided by owners, Nahrel Dallywater and Gordon Houston. a ‘ground up’ approach to planning, and recognise Note: image artwork has been digitally altered customary ownership and management of sea country. Science supports sanctuaries The evidence tells us marine sanctuaries work Marine sanctuaries (called Marine National Parks by the Federal Government) fully protect both marine life and their homes from extractive industries like mining and fishing. A network of marine sanctuaries around Australia would ensure that our special places and unique marine life are preserved for all Australians to enjoy in the future. Across the world, research provides compelling arguments for the benefits of marine sanctuaries. Marine sanctuaries protect our marine life. The main reason we need marine sanctuaries is to restore and protect biodiversity. There is evidence from all over the world that marine sanctuaries have powerful, positive impacts. For example, a global analysis of coral reefs in sanctuaries showed that reefs in protected areas maintained their coral cover while coral cover declined on unprotected reefs. Marine sanctuaries allow fished populations to recover. In addition to being essential to protect biodiversity, marine sanctuaries can be a very useful juveniles, eggs and larvae from within sanctuaries. complement to fisheries management.