__NOTOC__ Port Noarlunga Reef Aquatic Reserve is a

marine protected area Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...

in the Australian state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

located in waters in

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...

adjoining the Adelaide metropolitan area and including part of the

Onkaparinga River The Onkaparinga River, known as Ngangkiparri or Ngangkiparingga ("place of the women’s river") in the Kaurna language, is a river located in the Southern Adelaide region in the Australian state of South Australia. Rising in the Mount Lofty Ran ...

about south-west of the state capital of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. As of 2016, the aquatic reserve extents seaward for a distance of about from Gulfview Road in the suburb of Christies Beach in the north with its seaward boundary finishing in the south at the shoreline near the west end of Helmsman Terrace in the suburb of Seaford and includes the full extent of the Onkaparinga River from its mouth to the bridge on the

South Road South Road and its southern section as Main South Road outside of Adelaide is a major north–south conduit connecting Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia. It is one of Adelaide's most important arterial and bypass roads. As ...

in the suburbs of Noarlunga Downs and Seaford Meadows. The portion of the aquatic reserve located within Gulf St Vincent includes two reef systems that are exposed at low tide - the Horseshoe Reef located off the coast at Christies Beach and the

Port Noarlunga Reef A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

located off the coast at Port Noarlunga. The Port Noarlunga Reef is connected to the shore by a jetty. The aquatic reserve was declared on 30 November 1971 to protect “reef organisms from exploitation and for the conservation of the estuary and swamps of the lower Onkaparinga River, for the purposes of recreation and education.” The aquatic reserve is classified as an

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Category VI protected area.

Fishing activity

Fishing activity is limited to the use of rod and handline except for the waters within of Horseshoe Reef and can only be carried out at Port Noarlunga from the beach and the jetty to within of the Port Noarlunga Reef. The use of ‘hand nets for the taking of shrimps for bait only’ is permitted in estuary and the Onkaparinga River. Concerns have arisen at various times regarding the potential impacts of illegal fishing within the aquatic reserve.

Underwater trail

In 1994, the

South Australian Research and Development Institute The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is the principal research institute of the Government of South Australia, with a network of research centres, laboratories and field sites both in metropolitan Adelaide and through ...

installed an “underwater interpretation trail” in order to “raise community awareness of temperate reef environments and marine life.” The trail which covers a distance of consists of 12 concrete plinths installed on the seabed and each fitted with a plaque providing information about the reef’s sub-tidal flora and fauna. The trail which starts at the jetty heads south on the east side of the reef and passes through a passage in the reef known as The Gap and then heads north on the west side of the reef to a point opposite the end of the jetty.

Encounter Marine Park

Since 2012, its full extent has been located within the boundaries of the protected area known as the

Encounter Marine Park Encounter Marine Park is a marine park in South Australia. It is in the Fleurieu Peninsula in state of South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the m ...

and is fully occupied by four ‘habitat protection zones’ and two ‘sanctuary zones’ including one extending along the coastline from Witton Bluff in the north and Onkaparinga Head in the south.

References

External links

Webpage for Port Noarlunga Reef Aquatic Reserve on the Protected Planet website
{{Marine protected areas of South Australia, state=collapsed Aquatic reserves of South Australia Protected areas in Adelaide Protected areas established in 1971 1971 establishments in Australia Gulf St Vincent

Fishing activity

Underwater trail

Encounter Marine Park

See also

References

External links