East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve facts for kids

The East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a special ocean area in Australia. It's like a national park, but underwater! This reserve covers a huge 4,137 square kilometers (that's about 1,597 square miles).

You can find it in the Tasman Sea, right near where the states of New South Wales and Victoria meet. It was created in 2007 to help protect the amazing marine life there. This reserve is part of a bigger group of protected areas called the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.

This ocean area is unique because it has both warm and cooler waters. The East Australian Current brings warm, subtropical water from the north. This current creates big swirling patterns, like giant ocean whirlpools, near Cape Howe. This mix of different water temperatures and changing currents helps a lot of tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, to grow. These tiny plants are super important because they are the base of the food chain, supporting lots of other marine animals!

Protecting Our Oceans

The East Gippsland marine reserve is a protected area, meaning it has rules to keep it healthy. It's classified as an IUCN protected area category VI area. This means it's a 'Multiple Use' zone.

What Does 'Multiple Use' Mean?

Being a 'Multiple Use' zone means that some activities are allowed, but they are carefully managed to protect the environment. It's a way to balance human activities with conservation.

• Recreational fishing is allowed in this reserve. This means people can fish for fun, following specific rules.
• Commercial fishing is also allowed, but only with special approval. This helps make sure that too many fish aren't caught.
• Mining activities, like looking for oil or gas, can also happen here, but only if they get special approval. This ensures any mining is done very carefully to avoid harming the ocean.

This approach helps keep the ocean healthy while still allowing some activities that are important for people.