Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100:front:0:p70
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00100
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 221739–224755

reefs differ. In the north-west corner of the park in 40 m to 45 m depth, low-profile mesophotic reefs support a diverse benthic community of sponges, cnidarians, hydroids, gorgonian fans and soft corals. The large gorgonian fans and soft coral species have not been found elsewhere in the South-east Network.

Near the centre of the western boundary mesophotic reefs are dominated by red cup sponges. Bleached red cup sponges were recorded during surveys in 2017 at this site, likely associated with a significant marine heatwave in the summer of 2015–2016  one of the few reports of bleaching in temperate sponges.

On the outer shelf, in depths of 60 m to 70 m, mesophotic reefs are characterised by linear ledges that extend for kilometres or hundreds of metres long. These ledges, which are often undercut forming small caves, support a diverse sessile invertebrate community of hydrozoans, bryozoans, ascidians and sponges as well as southern rock lobsters and reef‑associated fish, including jackass morwong, velvet leatherjacket, reef ocean perch, draughtboard shark, and common gurnard perch. In contrast, between these ledges the reef is flat and sand inundated with no sessile invertebrate communities and few fish or southern rock lobster.

The shelf break, in depths of about 120 m, is largely sediment draped with few reef features, although midway along the shelf break are 2 canyon incisions with exposed reef, including cliffs up to 60 m high. Fish communities associated with these features are dominated by reef ocean perch, jackass morwong and striped trumpeter.

The upper slope reefs and canyons support an abundance of rare black corals and octocorals and several species of conservation-dependent deepwater sharks, including the Harrisons dogfish and southern dogfish.

The park includes biologically important foraging areas for many seabirds, including 7 species of albatross (including the endangered shy albatross; the vulnerable antipodean, black browed, Campbell, Indian yellow nosed and wandering albatrosses; and Bullers albatross), white faced storm petrel, common diving petrel and short-tailed shearwater. There are also biologically important areas in the park for white shark, southern right whale and pygmy blue whale.

The park contains habitats, species and ecological communities associated with 3 provincial bioregions – Southeast Transition, Southeast Shelf Transition and Tasmanian Shelf Province – and the Flinders and Freycinet mesoscale bioregions.

The key ecological features represented in the park include:

       * shelf rocky reefs and hard substrate – includes rariphotic reefs in the north-west of the park

       * east Tasmania subtropical convergence zone.

At the time of making this plan the consultation Tayaritja Milaythina Muka Indigenous Protected Area (IPA)  overlaps Flinders Marine Park. This is the first Sea Country IPA consultation project in the South-east Network. It extends from north-east Lutruwita/Tasmania over the submerged land bridge