Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
Location | Pacific Ocean, Australia |
Nearest town | Cockle Creek, Tasmania |
Coordinates | 44°19′S 147°47′E / 44.31°S 147.78°E[1] |
Area | 9,991 km2 (3,858 sq mi) |
Established | May 12, 1999 |
Governing body | Parks Australia (Commonwealth of Australia) |
environment |
Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a 9,991 km2 marine protected area within Australian waters. The former Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve created in 1999[2] was incorporated into the Huon reserve in 2007,[3][4] and is part of the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.
Huon reserve contains a cluster of approximately 70[citation needed] seamounts peaking 750 m (2,460 ft) to 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above the sea floor. They appear as cone-shaped submerged mountains, which provide a range of depths for a diversity of plants and animals. The reserve is a foraging area for great white sharks and seabirds and a spawning or nursery area for important commercial fish, including ocean perch and blue warehou.[4]