Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00322:front:0:p94
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00322
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 268638–271579

productivity and breeding aggregations of birds and other marine life); and continental slope demersal fish communities (valued for high levels of endemism).
Ashmore Reef is the largest of three emergent oceanic reefs in the region and the only one with vegetated islands. The Marine Park is an area of enhanced biological productivity and a biodiversity hotspot, supporting a range of pelagic and benthic marine species and an important biological stepping stone facilitating the transport of biological material to the reef systems along the Western Australian coast via the south-flowing Leeuwin Current which originates in the region.
The Ashmore Reef Ramsar site is located within the boundary of the Marine Park. The site was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 2002 and is a wetland of international importance under the EPBC Act. An Ecological Character Description that sets out the Ramsar listing criteria met by the site, the key threats and knowledge gaps, is available on the Department's website.
Natural values
The Marine Park includes examples of ecosystems representative of the Timor Province—a bioregion with a depth range from about 200 m near the shelf break to 5920 m over the Argo Abyssal Plain. The reefs and islands of the bioregion are regarded as biodiversity hotspots. Ashmore Reef is an important feature of the bioregion. Endemism in demersal fish communities of the continental slope is high with two distinct communities identified: one on the upper slope, the other mid slope.
Key ecological features of the Marine Park are:
  * Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island and surrounding Commonwealth waters—areas of enhanced productivity in an otherwise low-nutrient environment, of regional importance for feeding and breeding aggregations of birds and marine life; and
  * continental slope demersal fish communities—an area of high-diversity demersal fish assemblages.
The marine environment of the Marine Park includes habitats associated with two extensive lagoons, sand flats, shifting sand cays, extensive reef flat and large areas of seagrass. The reef ecosystems are comprised of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, sponges and a range of encrusting organisms, with the highest number of coral species of any reef off the Western Australian coast.
The Marine Park supports a range of species, including species listed as threatened, migratory, marine or cetacean under the EPBC Act. Biologically important areas within the Marine Park include breeding, foraging and resting habitat for seabirds, resting and foraging habitat for migratory shorebirds, foraging, mating, nesting and internesting habitat for marine turtles, foraging habitat for dugong, and a migratory pathway for pygmy blue whales.
Ashmore Reef Ramsar site
The Ashmore Reef Ramsar site includes the largest of the atolls in the region. West Island, Middle Island and East Island represent the only vegetated islands in the region. Ashmore Reef