Australia has an ocean territory twice the size of our land. Our oceans are the third-largest and most diverse on the planet.
Just off our shores we have the largest single reef − the Great Barrier Reef − and the largest seagrass meadow (Shark Bay, Western Australia) on the planet. We also have the third-largest area of mangroves and more than half of the world’s mangrove and seagrass species.
Our oceans provide refuge for a diversity of species including:
- six of the seven known species of marine turtles,
- 45 of the world’s 78 whale and dolphin species, and
- 4,000 fish species — 20 per cent of the global total.
Marine parks are an important tool in the toolbox of ocean conservation – helping reduce stress on marine ecosystems.
As well as establishing networks of marine parks we need to ensure that we tread lightly on our oceans. We need to reduce land-based pollution, have sustainable fisheries and take action to address climate pollution.