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Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef
Coral reef

Coral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms. In most reefs the predominant organisms are colonial cnidarian that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate....
 located off the west coast of Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, approximately 1200 km north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
. The reef is 280 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.

It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark
Whale shark

The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow moving filter feeder shark that is the largest living fish species. It can grow up to 12.2 m. in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes ....
, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Species of Ningaloo Reef
Although most famed for its whale sharks which feed there during March to June, the reef is also rich in coral
Coral

Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone?like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals....
 and other marine life.






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Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef
Coral reef

Coral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms. In most reefs the predominant organisms are colonial cnidarian that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate....
 located off the west coast of Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, approximately 1200 km north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
. The reef is 280 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.

It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark
Whale shark

The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow moving filter feeder shark that is the largest living fish species. It can grow up to 12.2 m. in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes ....
, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Species of Ningaloo Reef


Although most famed for its whale sharks which feed there during March to June, the reef is also rich in coral
Coral

Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone?like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals....
 and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef is part of the migratory routes for dolphins, dugong
Dugong

The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's Sea Cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century....
s, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are an important breeding ground of the loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles. They also depend on the reef for nesting and food. The Ningaloo supports an abundance of fish (500 species), corals (300 species), molluscs (600 species) and many other marine invertebrate. The reef is less than half a kilometre offshore in some areas, such as Coral Bay.

Conservation controversy

In the early 2000s there was much controversy about the proposed construction of a resort
Resort

A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
 at an area called Maud's Landing, which was a major nesting ground of the loggerhead turtle. It was also feared that the resort would be generally degrading to the entire marine park.

Local author Tim Winton
Tim Winton

Timothy John Winton , known as Tim Winton, is an acclaimed Australian novelist and short story writer....
 was particularly opposed to the development, and spoke publicly against it. In 2002, when he won the WA Premier's Book Award
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards

The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an award for books and scripts written by Western Australians or about Western Australia. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia....
, he donated the $25,000 prize money to the community campaign to save the reef.

Ultimately the planned resort did not go ahead. However, developers continue to take an interest in the area.

Ningaloo Collaborative Research Cluster

The Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster is a major research project that commenced in the region in 2007. It is part of the CSIRO flagship Collaboration Fund Research Initiative. The project involves researchers from the CSIRO, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre and a range of Australian Universities including Curtin University of Technology
Curtin University of Technology

Curtin University of Technology is an Australian university with its main campus in Perth, Western Australia. It commenced operations with its current name in 1986, and was previously known as the Western Australian Institute of Technology ....
, Murdoch University
Murdoch University

Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It commenced operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975....
, University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia. Established in February 1911, it is the only university in the state to be a member of the prestigious Group of Eight , as well as the Sandstone universities....
, Australian National University
Australian National University

The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a Public university research university located in Canberra, Australia, the Federal capital city....
 and the University of Queensland
University of Queensland

The University of Queensland is one of Australia's premier learning and research institutions. The University is a founding member of the national Group of Eight, an alliance of research-strong, mostly "Sandstone universities" committed to ensuring that Australia has higher education institutions which are genuinely world class....
. The project will deliver a dynamic model of Ningaloo incorporating socioeconomic and environmental load implications of human activity in the region that can be integrated with an ecological model of the region with the ultimate aim of developing planning tools and management models to ensure sustainable use of the region.

The study will involve the collection and processing of socioeconomic data from tourists and the host communities of Exmouth
Exmouth, Western Australia

Exmouth is a town on the tip of the North West Cape in Western Australia. The town is located north of the state capital Perth, Western Australia and southwest of Darwin, Northern Territory....
, Coral Bay
Coral Bay, Western Australia

Coral Bay is a small town on the coast of Western Australia, 1,200 km north of Perth, Western Australia. It exists primarily for tourism, with a side industry of fishing....
 and Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia

Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean....
. It will also involve the collection of data concerning the environmental load of human activity including natural resource use, waste generation, pollution, visual impacts and impacts on flora and fauna.

The project will be interactive, and will involve key stakeholders in the region. These stakeholders will include the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Shires of Carnarvon & Exmouth, local tourism organisations and Tourism WA, Gascoyne Development Commission, Departments of Water and Environment, researchers from Wealth from the Oceans and Ningaloo Project, Chambers of Commerce, Department of Energy and Resources, Department of Fisheries, Department for Planning and Infrastructure
Department for Planning and Infrastructure

The Department for Planning and Infrastructure is a department of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's planning, infrastructure and transport policies....
, Ningaloo Sustainable Development Committee and Ningaloo Sustainable Development Office, Yamatji Land and Sea Council representatives, and the Ningaloo research community along with other cluster project members and the State’s Ningaloo project. The project will also engage planners and managers in the region to examine tourism development and management.

Marine Park zones

  • 1. Bundegi Sanctuary Zone.
  • 2. Murat Sanctuary Zone.
  • 3. Lighthouse Bay Sanctuary Zone.
  • 4. Jurabi Sanctuary Zone.
  • 5. Tantabiddi Sanctuary Zone.
  • 6. Mangrove Sanctuary Zone.
  • 7. Lakeside Sanctuary Zone.
  • 8. Mandu Sanctuary Zone.
  • 9. Osprey Sanctuary Zone.
  • 10. Winderabandi Sanctuary Zone.
  • 11. Cloates Sanctuary Zone.
  • 12. Bateman Sanctuary Zone
  • 13. Maud Sanctuary Zone.
  • 14. Pelican Sanctuary Zone.
  • 15. Cape Farquhar Sanctuary Zone.
  • 16. Gnarraloo Bay Sanctuary Zone.
  • 17. 3 Mile Sanctuary Zone.
  • 18. Turtles Sanctuary Zone.
  • 19. South Muiron Conservation Area.
  • 20. North Muiron Conservation Area.
  • 21. Sunday Island Conservation Area.
    • Source: (2005) Ningaloo Marine Park sanctuary zones and Muiron Islands marine management areas [cartographic material] Perth, W.A.: Dept. of Conservation and Land Management. Scales vary ; Mercator proj. (E 113°24'--E 114°25'/S 21°38'--S 23°59'). Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94)


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