Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park

15°30′31″S 118°22′00″E / 15.5086°S 118.3667°E / -15.5086; 118.3667^[2]Area146,003 km² (56,372 sq mi)Established1 July 2018OperatorParks AustraliaWebsiteparksaustralia.gov.au/marine/parks/north-west

The Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park (formerly known as the Argo-Rowley Terrace Commonwealth Marine Reserve) is an Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia. It encompasses the protected areas of the Rowley Shoals, about 260 km (160 mi) north-west of Broome. The marine park covers an area of 146,003 km² (56,372 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN management category VI. It is the largest of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.^[3]

Conservation values

Species and habitat

• Important foraging areas for migratory seabirds and the endangered loggerhead turtle.
• Important area for sharks, which are found in abundance around the Rowley Shoals relative to other areas in the region.
• The reserve provides protection for the communities and habitats of the deeper offshore waters of the region in depth ranges from 220 metres (720 ft) to over 5,000 metres (16,000 ft).^[4]

Bioregions and ecology

• The reserve provides protection for many seafloor features including aprons and fans, canyons, continental rise, knolls/abyssal hills and the terrace and continental slope.
• Examples of the communities and seafloor habitats of the Northwest Transition and Timor Province provincial bioregions.
• The reserve provides connectivity between the existing Mermaid Reef Marine Park and reefs of the Western Australian Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the deeper waters of the region.
• Canyons linking the Argo Abyssal Plain with the Scott Plateau (unique seafloor feature with enhanced productivity and feeding aggregations of species).
• Mermaid Reef and the Commonwealth waters surrounding Rowley Shoals (an area of high biodiversity with enhanced productivity and feeding and breeding aggregations).^[4]

History

The marine park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 and renamed Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park on 9 October 2017.^[3] The management plan and protection measures of the marine park came into effect for the first time on 1 July 2018.

Summary of protection zones

The Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park has been assigned IUCN protected area category VI. However, within the marine park there are three protection zones; each zone has an IUCN category and related rules for managing activities to ensure the protection of marine habitats and species.^[3]

The following table summarizes the zoning rules within the Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park:^[3]

Zone	IUCN	Activities permitted						Total area (km2)
		Vessel transiting	Recreational fishing	Commercial fishing	Commercial aquaculture	Commercial tourism	Mining
National Park	II	Yes	No	No	No	excludes fishing, with approval	No	36,050
Multiple Use	VI	Yes	Yes	most, with approval	with approval	with approval	with approval	108,812
Special Purpose (Trawl)	VI	Yes	Yes	excluding longline, with approval	with approval	with approval	with approval	1,141
External link: Zoning and rules for the North-west Marine Parks Network

See also

• Protected areas managed by the Australian government

References

External links

Botanical gardens & national parks

Botanical gardens	Australian National Botanic Gardens
National parks	Booderee Christmas Island Kakadu Norfolk Island Pulu Keeling Uluru-Kata Tjuta

Australian marine parks

South-west Marine Park Network	Abrolhos Jurien Two Rocks Perth Canyon Geographe South-west Corner Eastern Recherche Twilight Bremer Great Australian Bight Murat Western Eyre Western Kangaroo Island Southern Kangaroo Island
North-west Marine Park Network	Carnarvon Canyon Shark Bay Gascoyne Ningaloo Montebello Dampier Rowley Shoals Eighty Mile Beach Argo-Rowley Terrace Mermaid Reef Roebuck Kimberley Ashmore Reef Cartier Island
North Marine Park Network	Oceanic Shoals Joseph Bonaparte Gulf Arafura Arnhem Wessel Limmen Gulf of Carpentaria West Cape York
Coral Sea Marine Park	Coral Sea
Temperate East Marine Park Network	Jervis Hunter Cod Grounds Solitary Islands Central Eastern Gifford Lord Howe Norfolk
South-east Marine Parks Network	Apollo Beagle Boags East Gippsland Flinders Franklin Freycinet Huon Macquarie Island Murray Nelson South Tasman Rise Tasman Fracture Zeehan

Commonwealth Marine ReservesMarine parksAntarctic Specially Protected AreasReserves held in trustManaging authoritiesRelated topics