Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition

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Map of the Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition IMCRA 4.0 Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition.png
Map of the Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition

The Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It is a transitional region between the cold-temperate Bass Strait Shelf and Tasmanian Shelf provinces and the warm-temperate Spencer Gulf Shelf Province. It is a provincial bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. [1] It is the southern portion of the Western Bassian marine ecoregion in the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Marine Ecoregions of the World system. [2]

Contents

Geography

The Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition extends from Cape Jaffa in South Australia to the western end of the Bass Strait. It includes the southern Limestone Coast of South Australia, the western coast of Victoria east to Cape Otway, and the waters around King Island as far as Tasmania's northwestern tip. [3]

The continental shelf is generally narrow, and the coast is subject to high-energy waves. It at the eastern end of the warm Leeuwin Current, which weakens during the summer months, allowing nutrient-rich cold water upwelling along the coast. During the winter the Leeuwin Current's influence makes the transition's waters warmer than those of the adjacent Bassian and Tasmanian provinces. [3]

Ecology

The biota includes many cold-temperate species from the Bass Strait and Tasmanian provinces. Smaller numbers of species are shared with the warm-temperate Central Eastern Province further east, and the Southwest Shelf and Spencer Gulf Shelf provinces to the west. [3]

Meso-scale bioregions

In IMCRA version 4.0, the transition contains a single meso-scale bioregion, Otway. In version 3.3 of the IMCRA, the Coorong bioregion to the northwest was also part of the transition, but version 4.0 includes it in the Spencer Gulf Shelf Province. [3] [1] The Western Bassian marine ecoregion, as delineated by the WWF, includes both the Coorong and Otway bioregions. [2]

Related Research Articles

The Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA), formerly the Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia, is a biogeographic regionalisation of the oceanic waters of Australia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). As of 2008, the most recent version is IMCRA Version 4.0.

Bass Strait Shelf Province Marine bioregion in Southern Australia

The Bass Strait Shelf Province is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It covers the central Bass Strait between Tasmania and the southern Australian mainland. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. The Bassian and adjacent Tasmanian Shelf provinces correspond to the Bassian marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Central Eastern Shelf Province Marine bioregion in eastern Australia

The Central Eastern Shelf Province is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It includes the warm temperate coastal waters of eastern Australia. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. It corresponds to the Manning-Hawkesbury marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Tweed-Moreton Marine biogeographic region in Australia

Tweed–Moreton, also known as the Central Eastern Shelf Transition, is a marine biogeographic region of eastern Australia.

Central Western Shelf Province Marine bioregion in Western Australia

The Central Western Shelf Province, also known as the Shark Bay marine ecoregion, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf and coastal waters. It includes the subtropical coastal waters of Western Australia.

Northeast Shelf Province Marine bioregion in northeastern Australia

The Northeast Shelf Province is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It includes the tropical coastal waters of the central and southern Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Australia. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. It corresponds to the Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Northeast Shelf Transition Marine bioregion in northeastern Australia

The Northeast Shelf Transition is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It includes the tropical coastal waters of the northern Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait in northeastern-most Australia. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. It corresponds to the Torres Strait and Northern Great Barrier Reef marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Northern Shelf Province

The Northern Shelf Province, also known as Arnhem Coast to Gulf of Carpentaria, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf. It includes the coastal waters of Arnhem Land and the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Australia.

Northwest Shelf Province

The Northwest Shelf Province, also known as Exmouth to Broome, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf.

Northwest Shelf Transition

The Northwest Shelf Transition, also known as Bonaparte Coast, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf. It adjoins the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the adjacent coast of the Northern Territory.

Southeast Shelf Transition Marine bioregion in Southeastern Australia

The Southeast Shelf Transition is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It covers a portion of Australia's southeastern coast, from southern New South Wales to eastern Victoria, including the islands of the Kent Group and Furneaux Group at the eastern end of the Bass Strait. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system, and is a transitional region between the warm temperate Central Eastern Shelf Province to the northwest and the cool temperate Bass Strait Shelf and Tasmanian Shelf provinces to the west and south. It corresponds to the Cape Howe marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Southwest Shelf Province Bioregion in Western Australia

The Southwest Shelf Province, also known as the Leeuwin marine ecoregion, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf. It includes the temperate coastal waters of Southwest Australia.

Southwest Shelf Transition Bioregion in Western Australia

The Southwest Shelf Transition, also known as the Houtman marine ecoregion, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf and coastal waters. It includes the subtropical coastal waters of Southwest Australia.

Spencer Gulf Shelf Province Marine bioregion in Southern Australia

The Spencer Gulf Shelf Province, also known as the South Australian Gulfs marine ecoregion, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf and coastal waters. It includes the warm temperate coastal waters of South Australia's central coast. It is a provincial bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system.

Tasmanian Shelf Province Marine bioregion in Southern Australia

The Tasmanian Shelf Province is a biogeographic region of Tasmania's coastal and continental shelf waters. It covers the western, eastern, and southern coasts of Tasmania. It is a provincial level bioregion in the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system. The Tasmanian Shelf and adjacent Bass Strait Shelf provinces correspond to the Bassian marine ecoregion in the WWF's Marine Ecoregions of the World system.

Western Indo-Pacific Biogeographic region of the Earths seas

The Western Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the eastern and central Indian Ocean. It is part of the larger Indo-Pacific, which includes the tropical Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia. The Western Indo-Pacific may be classified as a marine realm, one of the great biogeographic divisions of the world's ocean basins, or as a subrealm of the Indo-Pacific.

Temperate Australasia Biogeographic regional waters of Australia and New Zealand

Temperate Australasia is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the temperate and subtropical waters of Australia and New Zealand, including both the Indian Ocean and Pacific coasts of the continent and adjacent islands.

Bassian ecoregion Marine ecoregion in Southern Australia

The Bassian ecoregon is a biogeographic region of Australia's coastal and continental shelf waters. It includes the cold-temperate waters surrounding Tasmania, including the central Bass Strait between Tasmania and the southern Australian mainland. This ecoregion, designated in the Marine Ecoregions of the World system by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), includes both the Bass Strait Shelf and Tasmanian Shelf provincial level bioregions from the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) system.

References

  1. 1 2 "A Guide to the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia Version 4.0". Department of Environment and Heritage, Government of Australia. June 2006. ISBN 0 642 552274.
  2. 1 2 Mark D. Spalding; Helen E. Fox; Gerald R. Allen; et al. (1 July 2007). "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas" (PDF). BioScience . 57 (7): 573–583. doi:10.1641/B570707. ISSN   0006-3568. Wikidata   Q55877681.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Thackway R, Cresswell ID (1998), Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia: An Ecosystem-based Classification for Marine and Coastal Environments. Version 3.3 (PDF), Canberra (Australia): Environment Australia, Commonwealth Department of the Environment