Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia
Encyclopedia
The Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA), formerly the Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia, is a biogeographic
regionalisation of the oceanic waters of Australia
's Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ). As of 2008, the most recent version is IMCRA Version 4.0.
IMCRA actually defines two bioregionalisations: a benthic bioregionalisation, based on biogeography of fish together with geophysical
data; and a pelagic bioregionalisation, base on oceanographic
characteristics.
The benthic bioregionalisation incorporates three separate regionalisations:
The pelagic bioregionalisation divides the continental shelf into four provincial bioregions based on pelagic fish
species biodiversity and richness. Offshore waters are divided into three-dimensional water masses, taking into account water properties, circulation patterns and energetics.
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
regionalisation of the oceanic waters of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
(EEZ). As of 2008, the most recent version is IMCRA Version 4.0.
IMCRA actually defines two bioregionalisations: a benthic bioregionalisation, based on biogeography of fish together with geophysical
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
data; and a pelagic bioregionalisation, base on oceanographic
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
characteristics.
The benthic bioregionalisation incorporates three separate regionalisations:
- A regionalisation of the EEZ into provincial bioregions, based on the biogeography of bottom dwelling fishes. In IMCRA 4.0, 41 provincial bioregions, consisting of 24 provinces and 17 transitions.
- A regionalisation of the continental shelfContinental shelfThe continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
into meso-scale regions based on biological and physical characters, and the distance from the coast. In IMCRA 4.0 there are 60 meso-scale regions. - A regionalisation of the EEZ into 14 geomorphic units, formed by grouping the 1,134 geomorphic units defined by Geoscience AustraliaGeoscience AustraliaGeoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian federal government. It carries out geoscientific research.On a user pays basis it produces geospatial products such as topographic maps and satellite imagery.-History:...
.
The pelagic bioregionalisation divides the continental shelf into four provincial bioregions based on pelagic fish
Pelagic fish
Pelagic fish live near the surface or in the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters, but not on the bottom of the sea or the lake. They can be contrasted with demersal fish, which do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish which are associated with coral reefs.The marine pelagic...
species biodiversity and richness. Offshore waters are divided into three-dimensional water masses, taking into account water properties, circulation patterns and energetics.
List of provincial bioregions
This is a list of IMCRA 4.0 provincial bioregions:| Bioregion | Information |
|---|---|
| Bass Strait Shelf Province | |
| Cape Province | |
| Central Eastern Shelf Province | |
| Central Eastern Shelf Transition | |
| Central Eastern Province | |
| Central Eastern Transition | |
| Central Western Shelf Province | |
| Central Western Shelf Transition | |
| Central Western Province | |
| Central Western Transition | |
| Christmas Island Province | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Island Province | |
| Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition | |
| Kenn Province | |
| Kenn Transition | |
| Lord Howe Province | |
| Macquarie Island Province | |
| Norfolk Island Province | |
| Northeast Shelf Province | |
| Northeast Shelf Transition | |
| Northeast Province | |
| Northeast Transition | |
| Northern Shelf Province | |
| Northwest Province | |
| Northwest Shelf Province | |
| Northwest Shelf Transition | |
| Northwest Transition | |
| Southeast Shelf Transition | |
| Southeast Transition | |
| Southern Province | |
| Southwest Shelf Province | |
| Southwest Shelf Transition | This bioregion was referred to as the South Western Biotone in Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) Version 3.3, and as the Southwest IMCRA Transition in the National Marine Bioregionalisation of Australia. Both Southwest IMCRA Transition and Southwest Shelf Transition are used in IMCRA Version 4.0. The region extends along the continental shelf Continental shelf The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,... roughly from Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... to Geraldton Geraldton, Western Australia Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... , and has an area of about 27,000 square kilometres. Depth ranges from zero to nearly 300 metres, with a mean depth of 41 metres. Geomorphically Geomorphology Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them... the seabed is almost entirely shelf, but there is a small area of scarp Escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:... at the northern limits. The province contains two meso-scale bioregions: Abrolhos Islands, consisting of the marine environment immediately sounding the Houtman Abrolhos Houtman Abrolhos The Houtman Abrolhos is a chain of 122 islands, and associated coral reefs, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. Nominally located at , it lies about eighty kilometres west of Geraldton, Western Australia... , and Central West Coast, comprising the remaining area. Biologically, it is a highly complex transition zone, with many species from other provinces reaching a limit of their range in this bioregion. In particular, it represents a northern limit of a number of warm temperate species, and the southern limit of a number of sub-tropical and tropical species. |
| Southwest Transition | |
| Spencer Gulf Shelf Province | |
| Tasmania Province | |
| Tasmanian Shelf Province | |
| Timor Province | |
| Timor Transition | |
| West Tasmania Transition | |
| Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition |
List of Benthic meso-scale regions
|
King Sound King Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about 120 km long, and averages about 50 km in width. The port town of Derby lies near the mouth of the... (KSD) North West Shelf The North West Shelf of Western Australia is an extensive oil and gas region off the North West Australia coast in the Pilbara region.It has a considerable number of oil and gas wells, pipelines, production areas and support facilities.- Location :... (NWS) |
Shark Bay Shark Bay is a World Heritage listed bay in Western Australia. The term may also refer to:* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham* Shark Bay Marine Park* Shark Bay , a shark exhibit at Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia* Shire of Shark Bay... (SBY) Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the... (SG) Torres Strait The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland... (TS) |
List of Benthic geomorphic units
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Seamount A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface , and thus is not an island. These are typically formed from extinct volcanoes, that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from a seafloor of depth. They are defined by oceanographers as... |