Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area

The Ningaloo coast of north-western Australia (eastern Indian Ocean) hosts one of the world’s longest and most extensive fringing coral reef systems, along with globally-significant abundances of large marine fauna such as whale sharks. These characteristics — which have contributed to its inscripti...

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Автори: Vanderklift, Mathew A., Babcock, Russell C., Barnes, Peter B., Cresswell, Anna K., Feng, Ming, Haywood, Michael D. E., Holmes, Thomas H., Lavery, Paul S., Pillans, Richard D., Smallwood, Claire B., Thomson, Damian P., Tucker, Anton D., Waples, Kelly, Wilson, Shaun K.
Формат: Online
Мова:English[eng]
Опубліковано: Taylor & Francis 2021
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Онлайн доступ:https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/43147
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author Vanderklift, Mathew A.
Babcock, Russell C.
Barnes, Peter B.
Cresswell, Anna K.
Feng, Ming
Haywood, Michael D. E.
Holmes, Thomas H.
Lavery, Paul S.
Pillans, Richard D.
Smallwood, Claire B.
Thomson, Damian P.
Tucker, Anton D.
Waples, Kelly
Wilson, Shaun K.
author_browse Babcock, Russell C.
Barnes, Peter B.
Cresswell, Anna K.
Feng, Ming
Haywood, Michael D. E.
Holmes, Thomas H.
Lavery, Paul S.
Pillans, Richard D.
Smallwood, Claire B.
Thomson, Damian P.
Tucker, Anton D.
Vanderklift, Mathew A.
Waples, Kelly
Wilson, Shaun K.
author_facet Vanderklift, Mathew A.
Babcock, Russell C.
Barnes, Peter B.
Cresswell, Anna K.
Feng, Ming
Haywood, Michael D. E.
Holmes, Thomas H.
Lavery, Paul S.
Pillans, Richard D.
Smallwood, Claire B.
Thomson, Damian P.
Tucker, Anton D.
Waples, Kelly
Wilson, Shaun K.
author_sort Vanderklift, Mathew A.
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description The Ningaloo coast of north-western Australia (eastern Indian Ocean) hosts one of the world’s longest and most extensive fringing coral reef systems, along with globally-significant abundances of large marine fauna such as whale sharks. These characteristics — which have contributed to its inscription on the World Heritage list — exist because of the unique climatic, geomorphologic and oceanographic conditions. The region is hot and arid, so runoff of water from land is low, facilitating clear water that allows corals to grow close to the shore. The poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current is an important influence, bringing warm water and generally suppressing coastal upwelling. During the austral summer, strong southerly winds generate the equatorward-flowing Ningaloo Current on the inner shelf — this current facilitates sporadic upwelling events that enhance concentrations of nutrients, which in turn enhances pelagic primary productivity that supports the reef’s biota. The coast has experienced several marine heatwaves since 2011 that have caused mortality of corals, and probably seagrass, albeit relatively less than elsewhere along the coast. Wind-generated surface waves break over the fringing reef crest, causing cooling currents that tend to dampen warming — although this mechanism seems not to have prevented some areas from experiencing damaging heat, and corals in places that do not experience the wave-generated currents have experienced substantial mortality. Herbivores, from fish to green turtles, are abundant, and in the lagoon extensive stands of large brown algae provide an important habitat for newly-recruited fish. There has been a decline in abundance of some fish. Predictions of future pressures include a weaker but more variable Leeuwin Current, and increased human use. The ability of Ningaloo’s ecosystems to withstand growing pressures will depend partly on the rate and magnitude of global warming, but also on actions that manage local pressures from increasing human use. These actions will rely on continued science to provide the evidence needed to identify the pressures, the changes they create and the ways that we can mitigate them.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-378242025-06-11T07:53:51Z Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area Vanderklift, Mathew A. Babcock, Russell C. Barnes, Peter B. Cresswell, Anna K. Feng, Ming Haywood, Michael D. E. Holmes, Thomas H. Lavery, Paul S. Pillans, Richard D. Smallwood, Claire B. Thomson, Damian P. Tucker, Anton D. Waples, Kelly Wilson, Shaun K. Volume, Todd, Swearer, Smith, S, Russell, Review, P, OMBAR, Oceanography, Marine, L, I, Hawkins, Firth, Evans, Biology, Bates,B, Annual, Allcock thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSP Hydrobiology::PSPM Marine biology The Ningaloo coast of north-western Australia (eastern Indian Ocean) hosts one of the world’s longest and most extensive fringing coral reef systems, along with globally-significant abundances of large marine fauna such as whale sharks. These characteristics — which have contributed to its inscription on the World Heritage list — exist because of the unique climatic, geomorphologic and oceanographic conditions. The region is hot and arid, so runoff of water from land is low, facilitating clear water that allows corals to grow close to the shore. The poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current is an important influence, bringing warm water and generally suppressing coastal upwelling. During the austral summer, strong southerly winds generate the equatorward-flowing Ningaloo Current on the inner shelf — this current facilitates sporadic upwelling events that enhance concentrations of nutrients, which in turn enhances pelagic primary productivity that supports the reef’s biota. The coast has experienced several marine heatwaves since 2011 that have caused mortality of corals, and probably seagrass, albeit relatively less than elsewhere along the coast. Wind-generated surface waves break over the fringing reef crest, causing cooling currents that tend to dampen warming — although this mechanism seems not to have prevented some areas from experiencing damaging heat, and corals in places that do not experience the wave-generated currents have experienced substantial mortality. Herbivores, from fish to green turtles, are abundant, and in the lagoon extensive stands of large brown algae provide an important habitat for newly-recruited fish. There has been a decline in abundance of some fish. Predictions of future pressures include a weaker but more variable Leeuwin Current, and increased human use. The ability of Ningaloo’s ecosystems to withstand growing pressures will depend partly on the rate and magnitude of global warming, but also on actions that manage local pressures from increasing human use. These actions will rely on continued science to provide the evidence needed to identify the pressures, the changes they create and the ways that we can mitigate them. 2021-02-10T14:49:21Z 2021-02-10T14:49:21Z 2020-12-03T13:52:51Z 2020 chapter https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/43147 9780367367947 9780429351495 9780367524722 9780367524722 9780429351495 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/37824 English[eng] open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43147/1/9780429351495_C004_OA.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43147/1/9780429351495_C004_OA.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/43147/1/9780429351495_C004_OA.pdf Taylor & Francis CRC Press fa69b019-f4ee-4979-8d42-c6b6c476b5f0 Oceanography and Marine Biology 9780367367947 9780429351495 9780367524722 9780367524722 9780429351495 CRC Press open access
spellingShingle Volume, Todd, Swearer, Smith, S, Russell, Review, P, OMBAR, Oceanography, Marine, L, I, Hawkins, Firth, Evans, Biology, Bates,B, Annual, Allcock
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSP Hydrobiology::PSPM Marine biology
Vanderklift, Mathew A.
Babcock, Russell C.
Barnes, Peter B.
Cresswell, Anna K.
Feng, Ming
Haywood, Michael D. E.
Holmes, Thomas H.
Lavery, Paul S.
Pillans, Richard D.
Smallwood, Claire B.
Thomson, Damian P.
Tucker, Anton D.
Waples, Kelly
Wilson, Shaun K.
Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title_full Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title_fullStr Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title_full_unstemmed Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title_short Chapter 4 The Oceanography and Marine Ecology of Ningaloo, A World Heritage Area
title_sort chapter 4 the oceanography and marine ecology of ningaloo a world heritage area
topic Volume, Todd, Swearer, Smith, S, Russell, Review, P, OMBAR, Oceanography, Marine, L, I, Hawkins, Firth, Evans, Biology, Bates,B, Annual, Allcock
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSP Hydrobiology::PSPM Marine biology
topic_facet Volume, Todd, Swearer, Smith, S, Russell, Review, P, OMBAR, Oceanography, Marine, L, I, Hawkins, Firth, Evans, Biology, Bates,B, Annual, Allcock
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSP Hydrobiology::PSPM Marine biology
url https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/43147
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