Marine Park 12 12 Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park Park at a glance Boundary description Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park is located between The Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park comprises the the foot of Yorke Peninsula and the central north coast area bounded by a line commencing on the coastline at of Kangaroo Island. median high water at a point 137°11’25.4”E, 35°13’44.65”S At 2,972 km2, it represents 11% of South Australia’s (at or about Point Yorke), then running progressively: marine parks network. ○ southerly along the geodesic to its intersection with Community and industry the coastline of Kangaroo Island at median high water at a point 137°11’25.4”E, 35°37’23.25”S; • The Narungga Aboriginal people have traditional associations with the region. ○ westerly along the coastline of Kangaroo Island at median high water (inclusive of all bays, lagoons • Commercial fishers target abalone, rock lobster, shark, and headlands) to a point 136°46’52.75”E, 35°42’6.8”S pilchards, prawns, snapper, King George whiting (in the vicinity of Cape Forbin); and other scalefish species. ○ northerly along the geodesic to a point 136°46’52.75”E, • Fishing, boating, sailing, diving, snorkelling, swimming, 34°48’31.99”S; camping and beach walking are popular. ○ easterly along the geodesic to its intersection with the • Also featured in this marine park are the Investigator coastline at median high water at a point 137°27’34.71”E, Strait Maritime Heritage Trail and other historical sites 34°48’31.99”S; and listed on the Register of the National Estate. ○ generally southerly, westerly, southerly and Fauna and flora easterly along the coastline at median high water • The park helps protect many species of conservation (inclusive of all bays, lagoons and headlands) concern, including: to the point of commencement. ○ white-bellied sea eagles, peregrine falcons, osprey, NOTE: This boundary description is indicative only. It does fairy terns, hooded plover and rock parrots, and not describe inclusions and exclusions of specific land parcels. ○ marine mammals such as Australian sea lions, For this detailed information, please refer to the DEH website: New Zealand fur seals and southern right whales. www.marineparks.sa.gov.au or Surveyor-General’s office Habitat for the relevant marine park plan (known as a Rack Plan). • This marine park includes parts of the Spencer Gulf, Eyre and Gulf St Vincent Bioregions and features a variety of habitats: shallow, low-energy north-facing coasts with sheltered seagrasses and reefs; and deeper, high-energy coasts. • The habitats inside South Australia’s marine parks network provide critical baselines to measure any changes to the State’s marine ecosystems that may arise over time from, for example, pollution or climate change. • Species within the marine park are influenced by the clockwise circulation of Spencer Gulf waters and by seasonal fluctuations in the salinity of outflows along the eastern side of the Gulf. • Land and sea are linked at important sites adjacent to Innes National Park, Leven Beach Conservation Park 12 and Western River Wilderness Area. For more information visit: FIS 90349 www.marineparks.sa.gov.au or call 1800 006 120 Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park 136°48'0"E 137°0'0"E 137°12'0"E 137°24'0"E 137°36'0"E -20 PARSONS BEACH Minlaton 0 -2 0 COCKLE BEACH 34°48'0"S -3 34°48'0"S 0 -1 PORT MINLACOWIE 0 -3 CORNY POINT POINT SOUTTAR HARDWICKE BAY 0 Leven Beach CP POINT TURTON -1 -20 -20 35°0'0"S 35°0'0"S DALY HEAD - 1 0 Yorke Peninsula 0 1 - 0 2 - 0 -3 0 -1 STURT BAY 0 Warrenben CP -2 BROWNS BEACH FOUL BAY TROUBRIDGE POINT 35°12'0"S -20 35°12'0"S -20 PONDALOWIE BAY Innes NP Lower Yorke Peninsula MARION BAY POINT YORKE Marine Park -20 - 2 0 -20 -30 - 3 0 STENHOUSE BAY -30 CAPE SPENCER -20 -30 HAYSTACK ISLAND -30 -30 -40 -30 SEAL ISLAND -30 -50 Althorpe Islands CP 35°24'0"S 35°24'0"S INVESTIGATOR STRAIT -10 EMU BAY 35°36'0"S STOKES BAY 35°36'0"S 0 d 5 - n CAPE DUTTON a sl I Lathami CP k o r o a r MIDDLE RIVER a P g SNELLING BEACH e n n i a WESTERN RIVER COVE r K a 0 n -2 M r e CAPE FORBIN t s Western River WA e W Encounter Kangaroo Island Marine Park Cape Torrens CP 35°48'0"S 35°48'0"S 136°48'0"E 137°0'0"E 137°12'0"E 137°24'0"E 137°36'0"E Produced by Coast and Marine Conservation Department for Environment and Heritage GPO Box 1047 Adelaide SA 5001 www.environment.sa.gov.au/coasts Data Source Topographic Data, Marine Bioregions NPWSA Reserves, Bathymetry Marine Park Marine Park Locations - DEH Adelaide Compiled 9 January 2009 State Waters Jurisdiction Projection Geographic Datum Geocentric Datum of Australia, 1994 Parks and Reserves © Copyright Department for Environment and Heritage 2008. All Rights Reserved. All works and information displayed are subject to Copyright. For the reproduction Or publication beyond that permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth) Bathymetry Contours written permission must be sought from the Department. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information displayed, Eyre Bioregion 0 10 the Department, its agents, officers and employees make no representations, either express Roads or implied, that the information displayed is accurate or fit for any purpose and expressly Gulf St Vincent Bioregion disclaims all liability for loss or damage arising from reliance upon the information displayed. Spencer Gulf Bioregion Coastline (median high water) Kms DEH MapID: 2008-952 Bioregions and South Australia’s marine parks network Eight biologically distinct regions have been identified off South Australia’s coastline. The State’s marine parks have been carefully designed to include parts of each bioregion and the various habitats within them. By including examples of the marine biodiversity typical of the Eyre, Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent Bioregions, the Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park contributes to the marine parks network’s goal of representing and protecting examples of the full diversity of South Australia’s marine life. The great variety of marine life, habitats and natural processes typical of this region include the low energy north-facing coast of the foot of Yorke Peninsula, contrasting with the open, high energy coasts exposed to southerly winds and oceanic swells along the toe of Yorke Peninsula. Also featured are the habitats of Investigator Strait, with its deep waters and strong currents, and the distinctive sheltered northern coast of Kangaroo Island, backed by high cliffs and interspersed by small, sandy beaches. The 14 marine park Design Principles To guide the initial identification and final selection of South Australia’s multiple-use marine parks, 14 Design Principles – including seven Biophysical Principles and seven Community Principles – were defined and adopted by the Government. These Principles help ensure the marine parks network meets the objects of the Marine Parks Act 2007 as well as South Australia’s national and international obligations for marine protection. The Biophysical Design Principles guided the identification of proposed marine park sites. The Community Design Principles were then applied to fine-tune site selection of the 19 multiple-use parks in the network. 12 For more information visit: www.marineparks.sa.gov.au or call 1800 006 120 Biophysical Design Principles also contribute to the Adequacy of a marine park. Ultimately, Adequacy is closely linked to the success The seven Biophysical Principles address of marine park management plans with zoning. environmental conservation. Comprehensiveness and Representativeness Principles In the first instance, all parks were designed to meet the Precautionary Principle. Rigorous application of the Adequacy, To meet the Principle of Comprehensiveness, examples Comprehensiveness and Representativeness Principles of all habitats that occur in a bioregion need to be ensure the marine parks network meets South Australia’s included within each marine park in that bioregion. national and international marine protection obligations. To be Representative, all habitats in a region (e.g. reefs, The remaining three Biophysical Principles helped beaches, seagrass, mangroves) need to be included prioritise important local sites, to ensure the marine across the full variety of physical situations in which parks network maximises ecological outcomes they occur (e.g. shallow and deep water reefs, low and (South Australia’s Strategic Plan Target 3.4). high energy beaches). This variety must be represented within the combination of parks created in a bioregion. The Precautionary Principle The north facing coast of the foot of Yorke Peninsula is The Precautionary Principle is a risk-management sheltered from strong southerly winds and is generally a tool which requires action to be taken now in areas shallow, low energy coastline. The Hardwicke Bay area where scientific knowledge is not yet complete. contains broad, low energy beaches backed by extensive, One of the ways the Precautionary Principle has densely vegetated sand dune systems. Low energy pebble been applied in developing marine parks is to beaches and rocky shores are found in the Point Souttar include areas of unsurveyed seabed habitats. area, backed by low cliffs. Sandy beaches backed by low The Gulf St Vincent, Eyre and Spencer Gulf Bioregions dunes continue to Corny Point, with shallow seagrass all contain seabed habitats that are yet to be surveyed. meadows and low profile reefs adjacent to the coast. The areas of unsurveyed seafloor are 9,363 km2 (71%), South of Corny Point to the toe of Yorke Peninsula, the 14,972 km2 (80%) and 7,669 km2 (66%), respectively.