Ningaloo Reef
Encyclopedia
Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef
located off the west coast of Australia
, approximately 1200 km north of Perth
. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.
It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark
, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park. In 2011 the reef and surrounding areas were world heritage listed by the United Nations.
Although most famed for its whale sharks which feed there during March to June, the reef is also rich in coral
and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef is part of the migratory routes for dolphins, dugong
s, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are an important breeding ground of the loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles. They also depend on the reef for nesting and food. The Ningaloo supports an abundance of fish (500 species), corals (300 species), molluscs (600 species) and many other marine invertebrate. The reef is less than half a kilometre offshore in some areas, such as Coral Bay.
In 2006, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science discovered in the marine park’s deeper waters gardens of sponges that are thought to be species completely new to science.
at an area called Mauds Landing, which was a major nesting ground of the loggerhead turtle. It was also feared that the resort would be generally degrading to the entire marine park.
Local author Tim Winton
was particularly opposed to the development, and spoke publicly against it. In 2002, when he won the WA Premier's Book Award
, he donated the $25,000 prize money to the community campaign to save the reef.
Ultimately the planned resort did not go ahead. However, developers continue to take an interest in the area.
, Murdoch University
, University of Western Australia
, Australian National University
and the University of Queensland
. The project will deliver a dynamic model of Ningaloo incorporating socioeconomic and environmental load implications of human activity in the region that can be integrated with an ecological model of the region with the ultimate aim of developing planning tools and management models to ensure sustainable use of the region.
The study will involve the collection and processing of socioeconomic data from tourists and the host communities of Exmouth
, Coral Bay
and Carnarvon
. It will also involve the collection of data concerning the environmental load of human activity including natural resource use, waste generation, pollution, visual impacts and impacts on flora and fauna.
The project will be interactive, and will involve key stakeholders in the region. These stakeholders will include the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Shires of Carnarvon & Exmouth, local tourism organisations and Tourism WA, Gascoyne Development Commission, Departments of Water and Environment, researchers from Wealth from the Oceans and Ningaloo Project, Chambers of Commerce, Department of Energy and Resources, Department of Fisheries, Department for Planning and Infrastructure
, Ningaloo Sustainable Development Committee and Ningaloo Sustainable Development Office, Yamatji Land and Sea Council representatives, and the Ningaloo research community along with other cluster project members and the State’s Ningaloo project. The project will also engage planners and managers in the region to examine tourism development and management.
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
located off the west coast 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...
, approximately 1200 km north of 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....
. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.
It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park. In 2011 the reef and surrounding areas were world heritage listed by the United Nations.
Species of Ningaloo Reef
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef is part of the migratory routes for dolphins, dugong
Dugong
The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...
s, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are an important breeding ground of the loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles. They also depend on the reef for nesting and food. The Ningaloo supports an abundance of fish (500 species), corals (300 species), molluscs (600 species) and many other marine invertebrate. The reef is less than half a kilometre offshore in some areas, such as Coral Bay.
In 2006, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science discovered in the marine park’s deeper waters gardens of sponges that are thought to be species completely new to science.
Conservation controversy
In the early 2000s there was much controversy about the proposed construction of a resortResort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
at an area called Mauds Landing, which was a major nesting ground of the loggerhead turtle. It was also feared that the resort would be generally degrading to the entire marine park.
Local author Tim Winton
Tim Winton
Timothy John "Tim" Winton , is an Australian novelist and short story writer.-Life:Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the regional city of Albany....
was particularly opposed to the development, and spoke publicly against it. In 2002, when he won the WA Premier's Book Award
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an award for books, scripts, digital narrative and a People's Choice. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia...
, he donated the $25,000 prize money to the community campaign to save the reef.
Ultimately the planned resort did not go ahead. However, developers continue to take an interest in the area.
Ningaloo Collaborative Research Cluster
The Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster is a major research project that commenced in the region in 2007. It is part of the CSIRO flagship Collaboration Fund Research Initiative. The project involves researchers from the CSIRO, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre and a range of Australian Universities including Curtin University of TechnologyCurtin University of Technology
Curtin University is an Australian university based in Perth, Western Australia, with additional campuses in regional Western Australia and at Miri , Sydney and Singapore...
, Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
, University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
and the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. The project will deliver a dynamic model of Ningaloo incorporating socioeconomic and environmental load implications of human activity in the region that can be integrated with an ecological model of the region with the ultimate aim of developing planning tools and management models to ensure sustainable use of the region.
The study will involve the collection and processing of socioeconomic data from tourists and the host communities of Exmouth
Exmouth, Western Australia
-Further reading:* Western Australia. Ministry for Planning. Exmouth-Learmonth structure plan. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission...
, Coral Bay
Coral Bay, Western Australia
Coral Bay is a small town on the coast of Western Australia, 1,200 km north of Perth. It exists primarily for tourism, with a side industry of fishing...
and Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
. It will also involve the collection of data concerning the environmental load of human activity including natural resource use, waste generation, pollution, visual impacts and impacts on flora and fauna.
The project will be interactive, and will involve key stakeholders in the region. These stakeholders will include the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Shires of Carnarvon & Exmouth, local tourism organisations and Tourism WA, Gascoyne Development Commission, Departments of Water and Environment, researchers from Wealth from the Oceans and Ningaloo Project, Chambers of Commerce, Department of Energy and Resources, Department of Fisheries, Department for Planning and Infrastructure
Department for Planning and Infrastructure
The Department for Planning and Infrastructure was a department of the Government of Western Australia that was responsible for implementing the state's planning, infrastructure and transport policies...
, Ningaloo Sustainable Development Committee and Ningaloo Sustainable Development Office, Yamatji Land and Sea Council representatives, and the Ningaloo research community along with other cluster project members and the State’s Ningaloo project. The project will also engage planners and managers in the region to examine tourism development and management.
Marine Park zones
- 1. Bundegi Sanctuary Zone
- 2. Murat Sanctuary Zone
- 3. Lighthouse Bay Sanctuary Zone
- 4. Jurabi Sanctuary Zone
- 5. Tantabiddi Sanctuary Zone
- 6. Mangrove Sanctuary Zone
- 7. Lakeside Sanctuary Zone
- 8. Mandu Sanctuary Zone
- 9. Osprey Sanctuary Zone
- 10. Winderabandi Sanctuary Zone
- 11. Cloates Sanctuary Zone
- 12. Bateman Sanctuary Zone
- 13. Maud Sanctuary Zone
- 14. Pelican Sanctuary Zone
- 15. Cape Farquhar Sanctuary Zone
- 16. Gnarraloo Bay Sanctuary Zone
- 17. 3 Mile Sanctuary Zone
- 18. Turtles Sanctuary Zone
- 19. South Muiron Conservation Area
- 20. North Muiron Conservation Area
- 21. Sunday Island Conservation Area
- Source: (2005) Ningaloo Marine Park sanctuary zones and Muiron Islands marine management areas [cartographic material] Perth, W.A.: Dept. of Conservation and Land Management. Scales vary ; Mercator proj. (E 113°24'--E 114°25'/S 21°38'--S 23°59'). Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94)
See also
- GnaralooGnaralooGnaraloo is a working pastoral station and wilderness tourism business adjacent to the Ningaloo Marine Park, 150 kilometres north of Carnarvon, in Western Australia.The Station comprises a 90,000 hectare area, with approximately 65 kilometres of coastline...
, a pastoral station and wilderness tourism business adjacent to the Ningaloo Marine Park
External links
- Ningaloo collaboration cluster site
- Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre site
- Department of Environment and Conservation Site
- A Ningaloo conservation site
- Nice Underwater Video Clips Of Ningaloo Reef
- An insider report on Ningaloo Reef from Australian Geographic
- Ningaloo Coast receives world heritage listing