Sea star in shoreline pool, Tinderbox Marine Reserve, Tasmania
Tinderbox marine reserve is an example of a small coastal no fishing zone, where divers and snorklers can experience a rich sea life, among other different species of sea horses. The temperate south marine environment surrounding Tasmania has been geographically and climatically isolated for around 35 million years. About 80–90% of species of most marine groups are endemic, compared to only 10% of species in most groups in northern tropical waters. As a result, the marine environment of Tasmania and similar southern areas is in many ways more significant in world terms than tropical areas such as the Great Barrier Reef. In total 7.9% of Tasmania’s State coastal waters is reserved, however only 4.2% is in no-take areas and the majority of this is concentrated around subantarctic Macquarie Island. Only 1.1% of Tasmania’s immediate coastal waters are fully protected in no-take areas.
Year: 2014
From album: Tourism and Protected Areas in Tasmania
Photographer: Peter Prokosch