This interconnected system supports incredible biodiversity – from tiny plankton to turtles, seabirds, and whales – and is one of the most spectacular and complex natural places on Earth.

Global Conservation Importance of the Marine Park

The management of the Marine Park isn’t just vital for Australia, it’s one of the most biologically rich and significant marine areas on the planet.

It supports:

• 23% of the world’s seagrass species
• Over 2,000 species of sponges
• 54% of all global mangrove species
• More than 600 species of hard coral, plus a third of the world’s soft coral species
• 6 out of 7 marine turtle species
• Around 630 echinoderms, including sea stars and sea urchins
• Over 130 sharks and rays
• Essential habitat for one of the world’s most important dugong populations

These figures highlight the extraordinary global conservation value of the Marine Park – a living system like no other.