PARK FEATURES
Moreton Bay Marine Park was first declared in 1993 to protect its unique values and high biodiversity while still allowing people to use it.
The marine park covers 3400sqkm and stretches 125km from Caloundra to the Gold Coast. It takes in most of the bay’s tidal waters, including many river estuaries, and extends seawards to the limit of Queensland waters. The landward boundary is generally the line of highest astronomical tide.
Moreton Bay Marine Park protects a range of marine and coastal environments, including rocky shores, internationally significant wetlands, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows and sandy beaches.
These habitats provide important seasonal resources for migratory wading birds, humpback whales and marine turtles. Permanent resident species include dolphins, dugong, shorebirds, grey nurse sharks and various fish species.
MORETON BAY WETLANDS
In 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, representatives from 18 nations signed the Convention on Wetlands of International Significance (known as the Ramsar Convention) to stop global loss of wetlands, and to conserve and sustainably manage remaining wetlands. Moreton Bay is one of Australia’s largest sites listed under the Ramsar Convention.
The wetlands of Moreton Bay are extremely varied and range from perched freshwater lakes and sedge swamps on the offshore islands, to intertidal mudflats, marshes, sandflats and mangroves adjoining the bay’s islands and the mainland.
This variety in habitats contributes to the bay’s biological diversity. The high diversity is also due to the location and climate of the bay; it supports tropical, subtropical and temperate wildlife species.
There are 11 declared Fish Habitat Areas (FHAs) in Moreton Bay and they protect important fish habitats like mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and mudflats from the impacts of coastal development, while still allowing legal fishing to take place.
The seagrass beds, mudflats and mangroves of Moreton Bay Marine Park provide food and habitat for a wide variety of marine life.
