Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01389:body:0:p65
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01389
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 185390–188356

the fish species of North Keeling Island were undertaken by James Cook University between 2008 and 2010, which provided data on observations of fish species of North Keeling Island, observations of hybrid fish species, and an initial report on the health of the lagoon since the closure of the lagoon entrance in 2005 (Hobbs 2010).
In 2009 the Department commissioned a study conducted by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia titled Conservation values in Commonwealth waters of the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Island remote territories (Brewer et al. 2009). The objective of the study was to provide a summary of available and relevant information describing the conservation values of the marine environment under Commonwealth jurisdiction surrounding both Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
The study indicated that the marine environment is highly unique with many potential deep-ocean ecological systems that we have very little understanding of, particularly deep-water and other systems below scuba diving depth.
There appears to be an unusual lack of endemism on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and surrounding shallow reefs due to its recent emergence and colonisation some 4,000 years ago in conjunction with periodic catastrophic events, including tropical cyclones, that have substantially impacted the viability of fauna. In comparison, Christmas Island is an uplifted limestone island, which is still being uplifted, with biota that has existed for a longer and more stable period of time (Brewer et al. 2009).

Marine mammals
Two species of dolphins are regularly seen in the park: the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) (Murray 2002, pers. comm.).
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their calves have been filmed migrating past the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and there have been several sightings of Cuviers beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and unidentified pilot whales. A dead sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) washed up on South Island in October 2003 (Murray 2003, pers. comm.).
A dugong (Dugong dugong) was occasionally sighted by residents over a number of years in the lagoon of the southern atoll, eventually taking up residency in 2002. At the time of preparing this plan this individual is still sighted regularly.
A sub-adult Sub-Antarctic fur seal was recorded at West Island in September 2011 (Flores 2011).
Marine reptiles
As early as 1909, Wood-Jones observed that breeding of green turtles had virtually ceased on the islands of the southern atoll, although extensive nesting could be observed on North Keeling Island. Gibson Hill (1950a) reported a similar situation in 1941. Gibson-Hill (1950a) recorded both the hawksbill turtle and the green turtle occurring at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nesting green turtles are occasionally observed on the southern atoll, and frequently on North Keeling Island, and are a globally unique genetic stock (Whiting et al 2014).