Cape Byron Marine Park facts for kids

The Cape Byron Marine Park is a special protected area in New South Wales, Australia. It's one of four marine parks in the state and was created in 2002. This park stretches about 37 kilometers (23 miles) along the coast, from the Brunswick River to Lennox Head. It also goes out about 5.5 kilometers (3 nautical miles) into the ocean.

The park covers a huge area of 220 square kilometers (85 square miles). It includes many different types of marine environments, like sandy beaches, rocky shores, the open ocean, and the tidal parts of the Brunswick River and its smaller creeks. The Cape Byron Marine Park is a very important place because it protects 10 out of 15 unique ocean ecosystems found in its region.

People can enjoy many activities in the park, such as fishing, swimming, diving, walking, and other beach fun.

What is the Ecology of Cape Byron Marine Park?

The Cape Byron Marine Park is located in a sub-tropical area of Northern New South Wales. This means it has warm weather and warm ocean temperatures. The average sea temperature changes from about 27 degrees Celsius (80.8°F) in February to 21.6 degrees Celsius (70.9°F) in July.

The park is also affected by the East Australian Current (EAC). This strong ocean current brings warm water from the north into cooler areas. The EAC helps carry tropical plants and animals to the park, making it a unique place where warm-water species meet cool-water species.

What are the Main Habitats in the Park?

The Cape Byron Marine Park has many different homes for marine life. These include:

• Sandy beaches (both exposed and sheltered)
• Rocky shores and reefs
• Underwater pinnacles (tall, pointed rocks)
• Small rocky islands
• Coral communities
• River mouths (estuaries)
• Coastal creeks and lakes
• Sandy seabeds

The main ecosystems here are estuaries, rocky shores, underwater reefs, islands, sandy beaches, and the open ocean.

Estuaries: Where Rivers Meet the Sea

Estuaries are places where freshwater from rivers and creeks mixes with saltwater from the ocean. The Cape Byron Marine Park has three estuaries. The Brunswick River is a "mature barrier estuary," while Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek are "saline lagoons" or coastal creeks.

Rocky Shores and Platforms

You can find rocky shores and platforms at places like Lennox Head, Broken Head, and Cape Byron. Famous spots include the "moat" at Lennox Head and the flat rock areas around Broken Head.

Underwater Reefs and Islands

Subtidal Reefs and Emergent Rocks and Islands are found all over the park. Important ones include the Cocked Hat Rocks and Julian Rocks (which are islands sticking out of the water), Middle Reef and Wilsons Reef (shallow reefs near the shore), and deeper reefs like Mackerel Boulder-Spot X and Cape Pinnacle.

Sandy Beaches

The sandy beaches in the park are made up of the intertidal zone (the part of the beach covered and uncovered by tides) and the surf zone. Some of the beaches are Tyagarah Beach, Belongil Beach, Main Beach, Clarks Beach, Tallow Beach, Seven Mile Beach, Wategos, Little Wategos, Kings, Brays, and Whites Beaches.

Open Oceans

The open oceans are very important. Ocean currents, temperatures, and how much food is available all affect the animals and plants living there.

What Flora Lives in Cape Byron Marine Park?

The Cape Byron Marine Park is home to many important plants, also known as flora. These plants provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds for marine animals and birds. They also help keep the water clean by filtering out dirt. Key plant species in the park include mangroves, seagrasses, kelp, saltmarshes, and algae.

Mangroves

Mangroves are special trees that grow in saltwater. The park has several types, including the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina), river mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum), orange mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorhiza), and milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha).

Seagrasses

Seagrasses found in the estuaries, like Zostera capricorni, are vital homes for many fish and crustaceans. Even large animals like dugongs and green turtles eat them! Seagrasses also help recycle nutrients, store carbon, and filter coastal water, which is super important for the local ecosystem. Another tropical seagrass, Halodule uninervis, grows around the "moat" area.

Kelp

Kelp is a type of large seaweed that grows underwater in cooler waters. It forms underwater forests that provide shelter and food for many different marine animals and other seaweeds.

Saltmarshes

Saltmarshes are coastal wetlands. In the Cape Byron Marine Park, you can find plants like marine couch (Sporobolus virginicus var. minor) and maritime rush (Juncus krausii).

Algae

Algae are also found in the park. This includes Sargassum, a rare red algae called (Rodriguezella), and the brown algae Ecklonia radiata.

What Fauna Lives in Cape Byron Marine Park?

The Cape Byron Marine Park is full of amazing animals, or fauna. You can find dolphins, sharks, rays, turtles, eels, starfish, colorful fish, seabirds, and many more. The Brunswick River itself is home to cool creatures like sea slugs (nudibranchs), sea snails, shrimps, crabs, corals, octopuses, and sponges.

Humpback Whale

Fish

More than 530 types of fish have been recorded in the Cape Byron Marine Park! Some fish species are protected because their numbers are declining. These include the Bleekers devil fish (Paraplesiops bleekeri), estuary cod (Epinephelus coioides), black cod (Epinephelus daemelii), and the giant Queensland groper (Epinephelus lanceolatus).

Some sharks are also protected. The spotted wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) and banded wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus) are declining. The great white shark (Carcharhinus carcharias) is considered vulnerable. The Grey nurse shark (Carcharius taurus) is critically endangered, with very few left in New South Wales waters.

Mammals

The Cape Byron Marine Park is a temporary home for Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). These huge mammals use the park as a stop on their long journey from the cold Southern Ocean to warmer breeding grounds.

Reptiles

Several sea turtles live in the park and are considered threatened. The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is endangered. The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) are vulnerable. The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) and the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) are also threatened.

Birds

The park is very important for many birds. It provides places to live, breed, find food, and hunt. It's also a stop for birds that migrate (travel long distances). The migratory little tern (Sterna albifrons) and the Beach stone-curlew (Esacus neglectus) are endangered. Other seabirds like the providence petrel (Pterodroma solandri), flesh-footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes), and masked booby (Sula dactylatra) are also protected.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates are animals without backbones, like crabs, starfish, and sea slugs. While none are listed as endangered, they are super important for the health of the park's ecosystems. Some interesting invertebrates found here include gold ring cowries (Cypraea annulus), Zebra Shrimp (Ganthophylum americanum), and the seven-armed sea star (Luidia australiae). These are special because they are not usually found in this area, showing how the Cape Byron Marine Park is a home for both tropical and temperate species.

What Threats Does Cape Byron Marine Park Face?

The Cape Byron Marine Park faces several challenges that threaten its amazing plants and animals. These include tourism, fishing, pollution, coastal development, and climate change.

How Do People Affect the Park?

• Tourism and Recreation: Activities like diving can disturb sensitive animals, especially Grey nurse sharks in their breeding areas. Shark nets, meant to protect swimmers, can also accidentally harm these sharks. More boats in the water can also lead to pollution and harm whales on their migration.
• Fishing: Even recreational fishing, which is allowed in some areas, can hurt animals. Grey nurse sharks, for example, often get fishing hooks stuck in their jaws or inside their bodies. This can cause injuries or sickness, leading to long-term health problems. Over 30% of reported grey nurse sharks have fishing-related injuries.

What About Pollution and Development?

• Pollution: Pollution can cause problems like harmful algae blooms and an increase in cyanobacteria (a type of bacteria). These can make animals sick, like the green and loggerhead turtles, who are suffering from a virus called Fibropapillomatosis.
• Coastal Development: Building along the coast can harm important nesting areas for birds like the migratory little tern. These birds are very sensitive to human activity, and losing their nesting spots means fewer places for them to raise their young. Development can also destroy saltmarsh and mangrove areas, which are vital homes for many marine animals and birds.

How Does Climate Change Affect the Park?

• Warmer Oceans: Climate change is making the oceans warmer. This can cause animals to move to new areas, which can upset the balance of the ecosystem. For example, more tropical species are now being seen in the park.
• Ocean Acidification: As more carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere, the oceans absorb it, becoming more acidic. This makes it harder for corals to grow and can lead to coral bleaching, where corals lose their color and die. This threatens rare black coral trees found in the park.
• Life Cycles: Changes in water temperature can also affect the life cycles of many species. For example, loggerhead turtles are changing their nesting patterns, which could impact other species that rely on them.

How is Cape Byron Marine Park Managed?

The Cape Byron Marine Park is managed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The main goal is to protect the park's amazing biodiversity while still allowing people to use it sustainably for things like fishing and recreation.

The park is divided into different zones, each with its own rules:

• Sanctuary zones: These areas offer the highest level of protection, often restricting most activities.
• Habitat protection zones: These zones protect habitats while allowing some activities.
• General use zones: These areas allow for a wider range of activities.
• Special purpose zones: These zones are set aside for specific uses or research.

Many laws help protect the park, including the Marine Parks Act 1997, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999, and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. These laws protect specific species like the grey nurse shark.

The park also works with other government departments and programs to manage fisheries, reduce pollution, and plan land use around the park. This teamwork helps ensure the park's health for future generations.