Focus Locations for Marine Parks

• How were the 19 focus locations identified?

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The aim of the South Australian Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (SARSMPA) is to maintain ecological processes and protect biodiversity by representing examples of different ecosystem types within a protected area system. Across South Australia, 19 new marine parks are proposed as a key contribution to the SARSMPA. All 19 marine parks will be located within South Australia's State waters, which generally extend out to 3 nautical miles from the coast, and include the gulfs and offshore islands.

Prior to initiating the development of the SARSMPA, the South Australian Government in conjunction with the Australian Government established the Great Australian Bight (GAB) Marine Park, located off the far west coast of South Australia. The GAB marine park will also contribute to the South Australia’s Representative System of Marine Protected Areas. For more information please refer to our Great Australian Bight Marine Park page.

Focus locations for the 19 marine parks Click on image for larger map

How were the 19 focus locations identified?

Identification of potential sites for marine parks involves compiling and evaluating available scientific information to identify locations which are representative of the biodiversity, habitats and ecological processes found across the States marine waters.

We know that the species of plants, fish and other animals and their habitats differ from one area of South Australia to the next. For example, the giant kelp beds found in the cold, exposed waters of the lower south-east differ distinctly from the saltmarsh and mangrove communities found in the warmer, sheltered waters of upper Spencer Gulf. Based on the differences noted in the marine environment across South Australia, scientists have identified 8 separate bioregions, or regions with distinctive patterns of biodiversity.

In order to protect examples of all marine life found in SA, we must develop marine parks which are representative of the major ecosystems and habitat types within and between each bioregion. The 19 marine park locations have been chosen to make up a network or 'representative system' of marine protected areas, that collectively will conserve and protect all known types of habitats and communities within South Australia.

The focus locations for each marine park were identified using nationally and internationally recognised biogeographical, biophysical, ecological and biological criteria and were guided by Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) reserve system principles, as defined as:

• Comprehensive, meaning that the full range of South Australia's marine ecosystems must be included within the network of Marine Parks;
• Adequate, meaning that marine parks must be of a sufficient size and level of protection to ensure each habitat and species remains viable;
• Representative, meaning that those areas that are selected to represent habitats and species serve to characterise the region from which they are chosen.

The 'CAR' reserve system has been adopted in developing marine protected areas in other Australian states and internationally, enabling the SARSMPA to contribute to national and global marine protected area networks.

For more technical information on the criteria, methods and data used to identify marine park focus locations in South Australia, please refer to the report prepared by JL Baker: Towards a System of Ecologically Representative Marine Protected Areas in South Australian Marine Bioregions.

• Part 1 - Contents, Foreword, Acknowledgements, Executive Summary and Sections 1 - 7 (650Kb PDF)
• Part 2 - Section 8 (2.4Mb PDF)
• Part 3 - Section 9 (2.5Mb PDF)
• Part 4 - Sections 10, 11 and 12, References, Environmental and Geographic Index and Appendices 1 - 5 (2.7Mb PDF)

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