An assessment of the distribution and abundance of sea cucumbers, trochus, giant clams, coral, fish and invasive marine species at Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve
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Abstract
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve lies about 840 kilometres west of Darwin. Cartier Island Marine Reserve is approximately 46 kilometres to the southeast of Ashmore. Together, the Reserves cover an area of 750 square kilometres.The management plans for the reserves assign both reserves to IUCN (World Conservation Union) category 1a – strict nature reserve. A small section of Ashmore Reserve is managed as IUCN category II – national park. The reserves are managed to maintain ecological processes and systems and to protect the habitats and biodiversity of the reserves from the pressures associated with human use.
Keywords: Coral Condition Assessment, Fish distribution, Sea Cucumber distribution, Trochus distribution, Giant clam distribution, Invasive marine creatures, Ashmore Reef, Cartier Reef, Marine Reserves of Australia
