Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00322:front:0:p96
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00322
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 273952–276930

plan: Sanctuary Zone (Ia).
Coordinates for the Cartier Island Marine Park and zone are provided in Figure S2.13 and Schedule 4.
Statement of significance
The Cartier Island Marine Park is significant because it includes habitats, species and ecological communities associated with the Timor Province. It includes two key ecological features: Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island and surrounding Commonwealth waters (valued for high productivity and breeding aggregations of birds and other marine life); and continental slope demersal fish communities (valued for high levels of endemism).
Like the islands of Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island is a biodiversity hotspot 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.
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. Endemism of 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 represented in 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 in demersal fish assemblages.
The Marine Park includes an unvegetated sand island (Cartier Island), mature reef flat, a small, submerged pinnacle (Wave Governor Bank), and two shallow pools to the north-east of the island. It is also an area of high diversity and abundance of hard and soft corals, gorgonians (sea fans), sponges and a range of encrusting organisms. The reef crests are generally algal dominated, while the reef flats feature ridges of coral rubble and large areas of seagrass.
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 and foraging habitat for seabirds, internesting, nesting and foraging habitat for marine turtles and foraging habitat for whale sharks.
The Marine Park is important for a range of other species and internationally significant for its abundance and diversity of sea snakes, some of which are listed species under the EPBC Act.
Cultural values
Sea country is valued for Indigenous cultural identity, health and wellbeing. Across Australia, Indigenous people have been sustainably using and managing their sea country for tens of thousands of years. At the commencement of this plan, there