Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00326:front:0:p11
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00326
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 28876–31938

Bay and Bremer Bay, fishing and food tourism along the coastline from Walpole to Albany, and Kangaroo Island for its unique natural qualities and character. Although many of the marine parks are remote and far offshore, opportunities exist for recreational use, particularly around areas that are hotspots for aggregations of marine life.
There are significant industries in the region, including commercial fishing, mining and shipping that contribute to economic growth, employment and social wellbeing in adjacent towns and communities. Activities and businesses that support these industries such as marine industry suppliers and repair yards are also important sources of employment for coastal communities.
The marine environment of the region is characterised by ecosystems associated with the continental shelf, slope and rise, and the abyssal plain (deep ocean floor). Large parts of the continental shelf are high-energy environments with high exposure to waves. The continental slope of the region is relatively steep and narrow, with broad mid-slope terraces deeply incised by submarine canyons, including Australia's largest underwater canyon, the Perth Canyon. The region also contains some of the largest and deepest (mostly >4000 m deep) areas of abyssal plain within Australia's exclusive economic zone. The region contains the Naturaliste Plateau, Australia's deepest temperate water marginal plateau, and the Diamantina Fracture Zone, Australia's largest underwater mountain chain, rising from depths of over 6000 m.
The region is strongly influenced by the shallow, warm Leeuwin Current which extends the length of the region and has a significant impact on biological productivity of ecosystems and biodiversity. The interactions of the ocean currents with the region's diverse seafloor features, the low level of run-off from the land and the relatively stable geological history generate low levels of nutrients and high species diversity, including a large number of species found nowhere else. The flora and fauna of the region are a blend of tropical, subtropical and temperate species. Temperate species dominate the southern and eastern parts of the region, while tropical species become progressively more common towards the north of the region. Particular hotspots for biodiversity are the unique mix of temperate and tropical marine species that inhabit the waters off the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, the Recherche Archipelago, and the world's richest known temperate soft-sediment communities in the Great Australian Bight.
The region supports biologically important areas for a number of species protected under the EPBC Act including whales, sharks, seabirds and sea lions. For example the endangered southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) migrates through the region to calving areas in coastal waters of South Australia and Western Australia, and the region supports colonies of Australia's only endemic pinniped, the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea). Other protected species known to occur in the region include white