Cape Byron Marine Park is one of four marine parks in New South Wales, Australia, and is the most recently sanctioned.Marine Parks Authority. 2003. Background resource working paper for the Cape Byron Marine Park. Marine Parks Authority, Sydney. The Cape Byron Marine Park is located in Northern NSW and extends from the Brunswick River to Lennox Head. The marine park extends out to which dictates the border between state and federal jurisdiction. The marine park covers an area of and includes a variety of marine terrain including beaches, rocky shores, open ocean and the tidal waters of the Brunswick River and its tributaries, the Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek.Marine Parks Authority. 2010. Cape Byron Marine Park Operational Plan. NSW Marine Parks Authority, Sydney The Cape Byron Marine Park was declared in 2002 and the zoning plan was implemented in April 2006. Of the 15 distinct marine ecosystems identified within the Tweed-Moreton bioregion, the Cape Byron Marine Park supports 10 of these.
The Cape Byron Marine Park caters to both commercial and recreational uses including fishing, swimming, diving, walking, and other beach activities.Cape Byron Trust. 2002. Cape Byron Headland reserve management plan. Mullumbimby
Ecology
Cape Byron Marine Park is situated in Northern New South Wales which experiences a sub-tropical climate. The monthly average sea temperature fluctuates between 27.1 degrees in February and 21.6 degrees in July.Global Sea Temperature. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/byron-bay-july.htm The Cape Byron Marine Park is also impacted by the East Australian Current (EAC), which transports warm water currents into temperate zones.Hobday, A.J., Okey, T.A., Poloczanska, E.S., Kunz, T.J. and Richardson, A.J. 2006. Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Marine Life. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart The presence of the EAC plays an important role in transporting tropical flora and fauna into Southern Hemisphere temperate zones. The Cape Byron Marine Park is located on the Eastern Overlap Zone where warm waters form the north converge with cooler waters from the south. The local marine habitats include exposed and sheltered sandy beaches, rocky shores, rocky reefs, submerged pinnacles, small rocky islands, coral communities, riverine estuaries, coastal creeks and lakes, and sandy seabed habitats.Marine Parks Authority. 2014. Cape Byron Marine Park. Retrieved from http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/cbmp.html The major ecosystems in the Cape Byron Marine Park are estuaries, rocky shores and platforms, sub tidal reefs and emergent rocks and islands, sandy beaches, and open oceans.
Estuaries are located where freshwater creeks and rivers meet the sea. There are three estuaries in the Cape Byron Marine Park which are of two basic types - mature barrier estuaries (Brunswick River) and saline lagoons and coastal creeks (Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek). Rocky shores and platforms are found at various sites within the Cape Byron Marine Park, including Lennox Head, Broken Head and Cape Byron. The notable rocky shores/platforms are the moat at Lennox head, the intertidal boulder foreshore at Lennox Point, the flat rock around Broken Head. Subtidal reefs and emergent rocks and islands are found throughout the Cape Byron Marine Park. The major subtidal reefs and emergent rocks and islands are the Cocked Hat Rocks (inshore emergent rocks and islands), Julian Rocks (offshore emergent rocks and islands), Middle Reef and Wilsons Reef (inshore shallow reefs), Mackerel Boulder- Spot X and Cape Pinnacle (offshore shallow reef) and the Deep Reef within the marine park. Sandy beach habitats are made up of intertidal beach and surf zones. The beaches within the Cape Byron Marine Park include: Tyagarah Beach, Belongil Beach, Main Beach, Clarks Beach, Tallow Beach, Seven Mile Beach, Wategos, Little Wategos, Kings, Brays and Whites Beaches. Subtidal soft substrate of the Cape Byron Marine Park consist of muddy, sandy and gravelly seafloors. Open oceans play an important role in the local marine environment due to the impact of ocean currents, temperatures and productivity which influences food source availability and habitat.
Flora The Cape Byron Marine Park is home to several species of flora which play a significant role in the local ecosystems by being a source of food, habitat, breeding grounds for the local marine animals and bird life. The flora also plays a role in improving water quality and the filtering of sediments which create a more hospital and liveable environment for the local marine life. The significant species within the Cape Byron Marine Park include mangroves, seagrasses, kelp, saltmarshes and algae.
The mangroves found in the Cape Byron include the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina), river mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum), the orange mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) and the milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha).
The seagrass found in the estuaries, Zostera capricorni, is an important habitat for many fish and crustaceans including dugongs and green turtles. They play a crucial role the nutrient and carbon cycle as well as trap sediment and filter coastal water. These process are vital to the local ecosystem. The tropical seagrass Halodule uninervis is also found in the marine park particularly around the "moat".
Kelp is a form of subtidal microalgae that forms on the surface of mid water in temperate regions. Kelp plays its part as a form of habitat and is inhabited by a diverse range of marine animals and sea weeds. Kelp is a form of protect and foods source of many local animals and its existent is reliant on the existence of predators which ensure the impact of degradation based on herbivorous animals.
The salt marsh that is found within the Cape Byron Marine Park is the marine couch (Sporobolus virginicus var. minor) and the maritime rush (Juncus krausii).
Algae is also found in the marine park, and in particular sargassum, the rare red algae (Rodriguezella), and the brown algae (Ecklonia radiata).
Fauna The marine life of the Cape Byron Marine Park includes many species of dolphins, sharks, rays, turtles, eels, starfish, and corals fish, seabirds and marine plants. The Brunswick River is also home to several varieties of marine life including colourful nudibranchs (sea slugs), sea snails, shrimps, crabs, corals, starfish, anemones, octopus, flatworms, sea squirts and sponges.
Fish The Cape Byron Marine Park has more than 530 recorded fish species. However, there are several species which are in decline and or threatened which are protected under the Fisheries Management Act 1994.NSW Department of primary industries (Dpi). 1994. Fisheries Management Act 1994. Retrieved from http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/about/legislation-acts/fisheries-management These include the Bleeker's devil fish (Paraplesiops bleekeri), estuary cod (Epinephelus coioides), threatened black cod (Epinephelus daemelii) and the giant Queensland grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus). The spotted wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) and banded wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus) have been recorded to be in decline while the great white shark (Carcharhinus carcharias) has been listed as vulnerable under the Fisheries Management Act 1994. The grey nurse shark (Carcharius taurus) has also been listed under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW DPI 1994) as an endangered species and defined by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 as critically endangered with fears that there are less than 500 remaining in NSW waters.Department of Environment. 1999. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/about-us/legislation/environment-protection-and-biodiversity-conservation-act-1999/about-epbc
Mammals The Cape Byron Marine Park is also a part-time home to the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) which uses the Cape Byron Marine Park on their migratory journey from the Southern Ocean to their tropical breeding grounds.
Reptiles Three of the sea turtles that live within the Cape Byron Marine Park which are considered threatened under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 are the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) which is defined as endangered and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) which are both defined as vulnerable. These turtles are also considered threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 along with the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) and the flatback turtle (Natator depressus).
Birds
The Cape Bryon Marine Park plays an important role for many birds by providing habitat, breeding grounds, food source and hunting grounds, as well seasonal movements for migratory species. The NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 identifies the migratory little tern (Sterna albifrons) and the beach stone-curlew (Esacus neglectus) as endangered.Department of Environment and Heritage. 1995. NSW Threatened species conservation act 1995. Retrieved from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/legislation/DECCActsummaries.htm#TSC Seabirds that utilize the Cape Byron Marine Park are the providence petrel (Pterodroma solandri), flesh-footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes), and the masked booby (Sula dactylatra) which are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.NSW Legislation. 1974. National Parks and wildlife Act 1974. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/act+80+1974+FIRST+0+N
Invertebrates Although no invertebrates have been identified as endangered or vulnerable, it is important to acknowledge that there are a plethora of them within the Cape Byron Marine Park which are critical to the health of the local ecosystems. These include a variety of molluscs such as the gold ring cowries (Cypraea annulus), crustaceans such as the zebra shrimp (Ganthophylum americanum) and the seven armed sea star (Luidia australiae). These invertebrates have been noted as they are not usually found in areas and climates such as the Cape Byron Marine Park. The zebra shrimp and the seven armed sea star are rarely found in intertidal habitats and the gold ring cowries share a tropical affinity and demonstrate a rare occurrence in which the Cape Byron Marine Park is a habitat for both temperate and tropical species.
Environmental threats and issues There are several ongoing threats to the Cape Byron Marine Park and its biodiversity. These environmental threats and issues include tourism and recreational use, fishing, pollution, development, invasive species, disease and climate change. The current trend of ocean temperature increases impacts the local habitat conditions, species range, and the impact of the EAC.Owler, R 2012, 'Fine scale biodiversity, seasonal change and natural and anthropogenic influences at Lennox Head 'Bream Hole', within Cape Byron Marine Park, Northern New South Wales, Australia', MSc thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW Tourism and recreational use of the Cape Byron Marine Park has impacted on the populations of grey nurse sharks (Carcharias taurus). Grey nurse sharks maintain the same nursery breeding grounds which are often disturbed by tourism activities such as divers and often the use of shark repellent. Shark netting protected swimmers on beaches has also been linked to mortality of grey nurse sharks.Lynch, T. R Harcourt, G Edgar, N Barrett.2013. Conservation of the critically endangered eastern Australian population of the grey nurse shark (Carcharias taura) through cross-jurisdictional management of a network or marine-protected areas. Environmental Management 52:1341-1354 Increased boat traffic, pollution and fishing equipment are also a threat to the humpback whale on their migratory journey.