Arafura Marine Park
Northern Territory
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)[1]
Arafura Marine Park is located in Northern Territory
Arafura Marine Park
Arafura Marine Park
Coordinates10°0′0″S 132°30′35″E / 10.00000°S 132.50972°E / -10.00000; 132.50972
Established2018
Area22,924.1 km2 (8,851.0 sq mi)[1]
WebsiteArafura Marine Park
See alsoProtected areas of the Northern Territory
Figure. 1. Different usage zones[2]
Figure 2. Geological features[2]

The Arafura Marine Park, about 250 km (160 mi) north-east of Darwin, is Australia's most northern marine park,[3] and is part of the North Network of Australian Marine Parks.[2] The Aboriginal clans of Mandilarri-Ildugij, the Mangalara, the Murran, the Gadura-Minaga and the Ngaynjaharr whose sea country this is, share some of the responsibilities for the park.[3]

The marine park covers 22,924 km2 (8,851 sq mi),[3] and has depths from 5 metres (16 ft) to over 500 metres (1,600 ft).[2]

The park is managed as an IUCN category VI park[1] with three zones (see figure 1): a multiple use zone, a special purpose zone and a special purpose (trawl) zone.[3] Important sections of the park (see figure 2) include the Money Shoal, which is an area of raised sea-bed, thought to have been produced by periods of coral reef growth during the Quaternary and differing sea levels.[2]

Geomorphic features within the park.[2]
Geomorphic feature Area Proportion of park (%)
Apron 2,591 km2 (1,000 sq mi) 11.3
Bank/Shoal 31 km2 (12 sq mi) 0.1
Canyon 6,856 km2 (2,647 sq mi) 30.0
Ridge 681 km2 (263 sq mi) 2.9
Shelf (plain) 22,390 km2 (8,640 sq mi) 50.0
Terrace 1,146 km2 (442 sq mi) 5.0

Money Shoal

Money Shoal carries an abundant and varied assemblage of coral and organisms associated with coral reefs, an abundance of hard corals in the shallows, filter feeders on the shoal margins, while in the deeper areas of the sediment plains, there is little to no benthos.[4]

Money shoal gallery

Dense Branching corals of Money Shoal
Soft coral and macroalgae dominated community in intermediate depths
Benthic Community at Money Shoal
Grey reef sharks at Money Shoal
Epinephelus lanceolatus at Money Shoal

Fauna

Taken from Galaiduk, et al. (2021)[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Protected Planet | Arafura Marine Park". Protected Planet. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ronen Galaiduk, Scott Nichol, Marcus Stowar, Jamie Colquhoun, Mark Case, Marji Puotinen, Conrad Speed, Zhi Huang, Karen Miller (2021), An eco-narrative for banks and shoals within Arafura Marine park((citation)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b c d "Arafura Marine Park". parksaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  4. ^ K. Picard, M. Stowar, N. Roberts, J. Siwabessy, M.A. Abdul Wahab, R. Galaiduk, K. Miller, S. Nichol (2021), "Arafura Marine Park – Post survey Report" (PDF), Report to the National Environmental Science Program, Marine Biodiversity Hub. Australian Institute of Marine Science and Geoscience Australia((citation)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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