Mermaid Reef Marine Park

Conservation values

Species and habitat

• Important areas for sharks including the grey reef shark, the whitetip reef shark and the silvertip whaler.
• Important foraging area for marine turtles.
• Important area for toothed whales, dolphins, tuna and billfish.
• Important resting and feeding sites for migratory seabirds
• The reserve, along with the adjacent Rowley Shoals Marine Park, provides the best geological example of shelf atolls in Australia

  Ecology and bioregion

• Mermaid Reef has national and international significance due to its pristine character, coral formations, geomorphic features and diverse marine life. It is a key area for over 200 species of hard corals and 12 classes of soft corals with coral formations in pristine condition.
• Examples of the seafloor habitats and communities of the Northwest Transition provincial bioregion.

  History

Summary of protection zones