Marine reserve established off Australia

Long-legged pycnogonids, or sea spiders, are among the rare creatures found in the Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve.

June 16, 1999
Web posted at: 4:16 p.m. EDT (2016 GMT)

Unique and vulnerable deep-sea plants and animals were given permanent protection last month when Australia's Federal Environment and Heritage Minister Robert Hill established the Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve.

"The seamount region off Tasmania is a distinct geological feature not found elsewhere in the continental margin of Australia. It includes 70 submerged and extinct volcanoes in water between 1,000 and 2,000 meters deep on the continental slope and supports an incredibly diverse range of bottom-living plants and animals, many of which are new to science and not found anywhere else in the world," said Hill.

About 20 percent of the seamount region will be placed in the reserve, which scientists from Australia's federal science agency, CSIRO, say is sufficient to provide protection for a representative sample of the species.

To date, that area of the reserve has not been trawled and is therefore in pristine condition, said Hill.

To manage the area, neither fishing nor petroleum and mineral exploration will be allowed below 1,640 feet (500 meters). However, the fishing industry will have access to surface waters.

CSIRO scientists said that fishing within the upper reaches of the area is unlikely to have a significant impact on the seamount-associated community.

"However, trawling, which would damage the seabed and its fauna, will not be allowed in the reserve," said Hill.