<
https://theconversation.com/penguin-paradise-and-geological-freak-why-macquarie-island-deserves-a-bigger-marine-park-201368>
"Macquarie Island, around 1,500km southeast of Tasmania, is more than just a
remote rocky outcrop. In fact, it’s the only piece of land on the planet formed
completely from ocean floor, which rises above the waves to form peaks that
teem with penguins and other bird species, some of them found nowhere else on
Earth.
These are just some of the reasons why this unique island, and the seas that
surround it, have globally significant conservation values. Our new independent
assessment of these values forms the scientific evidence base of Federal
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s announcement last month of plans to
significantly increase protections for the waters surrounding Macquarie Island.
By comprehensively assessing the available data on the marine ecosystems and
the many species that live on and around Macquarie Island, our report reveals a
subantarctic environment that is crucial for breeding and feeding for millions
of seabirds and thousands of marine mammals.
Macquarie Island and its surrounding seas (to a distance of 5.5km) are already
protected as a Tasmanian reserve, and the area (this time including seas to a
distance of 22km) is also a World Heritage Area. A Commonwealth marine park
also covers most of the southeast quadrant of the island’s “economic exclusion
zone”, including a sanctuary zone and two seafloor management zones.
The federal government’s proposed expansion of the marine park would cover the
island’s entire economic exclusion zone, increasing the area of Australia’s
marine sanctuaries by more than 388,000 square kilometres, an increase larger
than the area of Germany."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
