Cartier Island Marine Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cartier Island Marine Park |
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IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
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| Location | Australia |
| Area | 172 km2 (66 sq mi) |
| Established | 21 June 2000 |
| Operator | Parks Australia |
| Website | https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/parks/north-west |
The Cartier Island Marine Park is a special ocean area in Australia. It's located about 610 kilometers (379 miles) north of Broome, Western Australia. This park protects Cartier Island and the beautiful coral reefs around it.
The park covers 172 square kilometers (66 square miles) of ocean. It's a "Sanctuary Zone," which means it's a very important place for nature. It's one of 13 parks in the North-west Marine Parks Network. People cannot usually visit the park to protect its environment. Also, the area was once used for defense practice, so there might be old, unexploded items, making it unsafe to enter.
Contents
Why is Cartier Island Marine Park Important?
This marine park is very important for protecting many different kinds of ocean life. It helps keep the ocean healthy and safe for animals.
Amazing Animals and Habitats
- Sea Snakes: The park is known around the world for having many different kinds of sea snakes.
- Sea Turtles: Many green, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles come to feed around the reefs.
- Seabirds: It's a key nesting spot for many seabirds on the North West Shelf. These include bridled terns, common noddies, brown boobies, eastern reef egrets, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, red-footed boobies, roseate terns, crested terns, and lesser crested terns.
- Migratory Birds: Many seabirds that travel long distances stop here to rest and find food.
Unique Ocean Features
- Ocean Regions: The park covers parts of the North West Shelf and Timor Province ocean regions.
- Reefs: It has reefs that rise out of the ocean.
- Shipwreck: The historic Ann Millicent shipwreck is also found here.
History of the Park
The Cartier Island Marine Park has had a few name changes over time. It was first created on June 21, 2000, and called the Cartier Island Marine Reserve. Later, on December 14, 2013, it was officially named the Cartier Island Marine Park.
Rules for the Marine Park
The Cartier Island Marine Park is a "Sanctuary Zone." This means it has the highest level of protection. The rules are very strict to keep the environment safe.
The table below shows what activities are allowed or not allowed in the park:
| Zone | IUCN | Activities permitted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vessel transiting | Recreational fishing | Commercial fishing | Commercial aquaculture | Commercial tourism | Mining | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sanctuary Zone | Ia | No | No | No | No | aviation only, with approval | No | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| External link: Zoning and rules for the North-west Marine Parks Network | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
