Sunrise over Solitary Island Marine Park

Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP) is a marine park in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

State waters, Australia. It adjoins the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) and was declared under the ''Marine Parks Act 1997 (NSW)'' in January 1998.Commonwealth of Australia. (2001). ''Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plan.'' Environment Australia, Canberra. Prior to this it was declared a marine reserve in 1991.NSW Marine Parks Authority. (2008). Natural values of the Solitary Islands Marine Park. The Park was one of the first declared in

NSW ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and stretches along the northern

coast, from Muttonbird Island,

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

, to Plover Island near Sandon River, 75 kilometres to the north. It includes coastal

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

and lakes and extends from the mean high water mark, to three

nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...

s out to sea, covering an area of around 72 000 hectares.NSW Marine Parks Authority. (2013). ''Solitary Islands Marine Park - Southern Sanctuary Zone.'' There are five main islands in the Park, North Solitary Island, North West Solitary Island, South West Solitary Island (Groper Island), South Solitary Island and Split Solitary Island, as well as other significant outcrops such as Muttonbird Island and submerged reefs. On 15 May 1770, Lieut.

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

sailed past the Solitary Islands and noted their position in his journal, “Between 2 and 4 we had some small rocky Islands between us and the land the southernmost lies in the Latitude of 30°10' and the northernmost in 29°58' and about 2 Leagues or more from the land.”Cook, J. (1771). Journal of H.M.S. Endeavour, 1768-1771 anuscript Retrieved 20/05/2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms1-s236r He named them the "Solitary Isles" on his chart.Cook, J. (1770). A Chart of New South Wales, or the East Coast of New Holland. Discover'd and Explored By Lieutenant J. Cook, Commander of his Majesty's Bark Endeavour, in the Year MDCCLXX. from http://southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/maps/zoom_au.html

Ecology

The Solitary Island Marine Park contains a diverse range of habitats including intertidal and subtidal reefs, soft sediments, beaches, seagrass beds, mangroves, saltmarsh and open waters, which support a large variety of fauna and flora. The northern section of the marine park borders the Yuragir National Park, between Sandon River and Red Rock, which contains several open and closed lakes and lagoons. As well as bordering Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, Garby Nature Reserve at Arrawarra, and Coffs Coast Regional Park, it also incorporates

Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve is a nature reserve off the shore of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, on the southern boundary of the Solitary Islands Marine Park. It is linked to the mainland by a causeway, which acts as the northern bre ...

, Split Solitary Island Nature Reserve, South West Solitary Island Nature Reserve, North West Solitary Island Nature Reserve, North Rock Nature Reserve, North Solitary Island Nature Reserve and the South Solitary Island Historic Site which covers 11 hectares and incorporates the lighthouse and keepers cottages built in 1879. Prior to European settlement, none of these islands had been inhabited, burned or subject to grazing animals. A fragile balanced ecology had built up over centuries.Yeates, N. T. M. (1990). ''Coffs Harbour. Vol 1: Pre- 1880 to 1945''. Coffs Harbour: Bananacoast Printers. The coastal areas adjoining the Marine Park are high in species richness and endemism Chrisp, M. D., Laffan, S., Linder, H. P., & Munro, A. (2001). Endemism in Australian flora. ''Journal of Biogeography, 28'', 183-198
doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2699.2001.00524.x
and the waters around the Solitary Islands are strongly influenced by the warm

East Australian Current The East Australian Current (EAC) is a warm, southward, western boundary current that is formed from the South Equatorial Current (SEC) crossing the Coral Sea and reaching the eastern coast of Australia. At around 15° S near the Australian coa ...

.Zann, L. P. (2000). The Eastern Australian Region: a Dynamic Tropical/Temperate Biotone. ''Marine Pollution Bulletin, 41'', 188-203
doi:10.1016/S0025-326X(00)00110-7
/ref> The continental shelf of northern

lies at the juncture of tropical and temperate

oceanographic Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics ...

regions, and the sea temperature patterns within the Solitary Islands region explains the cross-shelf gradients in biotic patterns. Both tropical and temperate

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

s overlap here,Malcolm, H. A., Davies, P. L., Jordan, A., & Smith, S. D. A. (2011). ''Variation in sea temperature and the East Australian Current in the Solitary Islands region between 2001-2008. Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 28''(5), 616-627
doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.09.030
/ref> and for many species the Marine Park may represent either their northern or southern limits.

Flora

Vegetation types in the Marine Park include freshwater and marine ecosystems as well as, mangroves and saline communities, frontal dune and foreshore communities and exposed high dune sand systems. MillarMillar, A. J. K. (1990). Marine red algae of the Coffs Harbour region, northern New South Wales. ''Australian Systematic Biology, 3'', 293-593
doi:10.1071/SB9900293
/ref> (1990), records 119 species of Red Algae from the Coffs Harbour Region, including 22 which were new records for Australia, and ''Dictyothamnion (D. saltatum)'' constituting a new genus.

Mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several ...

are found in sheltered estuarine environments in a transitional zone between land and sea, generally in an intertidal area and provide habitat for many fish, birds and invertebrates. Two types of mangroves dominate, grey mangrove (''

Avicennia marina ''Avicennia marina'', commonly known as grey mangrove or white mangrove, is a species of mangrove tree classified in the plant family Acanthaceae (formerly in the Verbenaceae or Avicenniaceae). As with other mangroves, it occurs in the intertid ...

'') and river mangrove (''

Aegiceras corniculatum ''Aegiceras corniculatum'', commonly known as black mangrove, river mangrove, goat's horn mangrove, or khalsi, is a species of shrub or tree mangrove in the primrose family, Primulaceae, with a distribution in coastal and estuarine areas ranging ...

''). The vegetation on the islands and headlands in the region are dwarf grassy heath and rocky heath that struggle with shallow soils and salty winds. Threatened plant species found growing on the headlands, include Carpet Star (''

Zieria prostrata ''Zieria prostrata '' commonly known as headland zieria, is a plant in the citrus Family (biology), family Rutaceae and is endemism, endemic to the Coffs Harbour district in New South Wales. It is a wikt:prostrate, prostrate shrub with leaves com ...

''), which is endemic to the Coffs Harbour region,NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (1998). ''Zieria prostrata Recovery Plan''. Sydney: NPWS. ('' Plectranthus cremnus'')NPWS North Coast Region. (2003). Moonee Beach Nature Reserve: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. and Austral Toadflax ('' Thesium austral'').NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. (2013). Austral Toadflax - profile. Retrieved 20/05/2015, from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10802 North Solitary Island: Pigface ('' Carpobrotus glaucescens''), Couch grass (''

Cynodon dactylon ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasi ...

''), Summer grass (''

Digitaria sanguinalis ''Digitaria sanguinalis'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by several common names, including hairy crabgrass, hairy finger-grass, large crabgrass, crab finger grass, purple crabgrass. It is one of the better-known species of the genus ''Digi ...

''), Wandering Jew (''

Commelina cyanea ''Commelina cyanea'', commonly known as scurvy weed, is a perennial prostrate herb of the family Commelinaceae native to moist forests and woodlands of eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The blue flowers appear over the wa ...

''), Coast Morning Glory (''

Ipomoea cairica ''Ipomoea cairica'' is a vining, herbaceous, perennial plant with palmate leaves and large, showy white to lavender flowers. A species of morning glory, it has many common names, including mile-a-minute vine, Messina creeper, Cairo morning glo ...

''), Yellow-flowered Oxalis (''

Oxalis corniculata ''Oxalis corniculata'', the creeping woodsorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel or sleeping beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It resembles the common yellow woodsorrel, ''Oxalis stricta'' ...

'') and Saltbush ('' Ragodia hastata'').Lane, S. G. (1974a). Seabird Islands No 6, North Solitary Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 12'', 14-15. North-West Solitary Island: Pigface, Saltbush, Prickly Couch ('' Zoisia macrantha''), Wandering Jew, Coast Morning Glory are predominant species.Morris, A. K. (1975). Seabird Islands No12, North-West Solitary Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 13'', 58-59. South-West Solitary Island: Pigface, Wandering Jew, Variable groundsel (''

Senecio Lautus ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Mor ...

''), New Zealand Spinach (''

Tetragonia tetragonioides ''Tetragonia tetragonioides'', commonly called New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens and other local names, is a flowering plant in the fig-marigold family (Aizoaceae). It is often cultivated as a leafy vegetable. It is a widespread species, nat ...

''), Climbing Saltbush ('' Rhagodia nutans''), Tuckeroo (''

Cupaniopsis anacardioides ''Cupaniopsis anacardioides'', with common names tuckeroo, carrotwood, beach tamarind and green-leaved tamarind, is a species of flowering tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that is native to eastern and northern Australia. The usual ...

''), Prickly Couch, Dusky Coral Pea (''

Kennedia rubicunda ''Kennedia rubicunda'', commonly known as the dusky coral pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern continental Australia. It is a twining or prostrate herb with Glossary of leaf morphology#trifoliate, ...

''), and Shore Spleenwort (''

Asplenium ''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider ''Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a different ...

obtusatum'').Lane, S. G. (1975a). Seabird Islands No 10, South-West Solitary Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 13'', 14-15. South Solitary Island: vegetation consists mainly of grasses including Prickly couch, Whiskey grass (''

Andropogon virginicus ''Andropogon virginicus'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including broomsedge bluestem, yellowsedge bluestem and (in Australia, because it was introduced to that country after being used as packaging for bottles of American ...

''), Durrington grass ('' Axonopus affinis''), Slender mudgrass, (''

Pseudoraphis paradoxa ''Pseudoraphis'' is a genus of Asian and Australian plants in the Poaceae, grass family, commonly known as mudgrasses.Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 1992 onwards''Pseudoraphis'' Griff.The Grass Genera of the World.Stenotaphrum secundatum'').Lane, S. G. (1975b). Seabird Islands No 14, South Solitary Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 13'', 80-82. Birdie (small islet at northern end of South Solitary Island): Wandering Jew, Coast Morning Glory, New Zealand Spinach, Coastal yellow Pea (''

Vigna marina ''Vigna marina'' is a prostrate, creeping vine and a perennial plant.Descriptions of Major Dune Plants'' publication by the Beach Protection Authority of Queensland, Australia Also known as the beach pea, nanea, and notched cowpea, it is a speci ...

''), Pennywort ('' Hydrocotyle acutiloba'') and Pigweed (''

Portulaca oleracea ''Portulaca oleracea'' (common purslane, also known as little hogweed, or pursley) is an annual (actually tropical perennial in USDA growing zones 10–11) succulent in the family Portulacaceae. Description The plant may reach in height. It ...

''). Split Solitary: Climbing Saltbush, Variable Groundsel, Pigface, Wandering Jew, Coastal Yellow Pea and Sword Bean ('' Canavalia maritima'').Lane, S. G. (1974b). Seabird Islands No 9. Split Solitary Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 12'', 79. Korfs Islet: Pigface, Prickly couch, Summer grass (''

Digitaria ciliaris ''Digitaria ciliaris'' is a species of grass known by the common names southern crabgrass,''Digitaria ...

''), Ruby saltbush (''

Enchylaena tomentosa ''Enchylaena tomentosa'', commonly known as barrier saltbush or ruby saltbush, is a small native shrub of Australia. Description ''Enchylaena tomentosa'' grows as a small perennial shrub, up to a meter in diameter. Leaves are slender and cylind ...

'') and Sea purslane (''

Sesuvium portulacastrum ''Sesuvium portulacastrum'' is a sprawling perennial herb that grows in coastal areas throughout much of the world. It is commonly known as shoreline purslane or (ambiguously) " sea purslane," in English, ''dampalit'' in Tagalog and 海马齿sl ...

'').Lane, S. G. (1976). Seabird Islands No 33, Korffs Islet, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 14'', 92. Muttonbird Island: Pigface, Tuckeroo, Wandering Jew, Dusky Coral Pea, Prickly couch, Weeping grass ('' Microlaena stipoides''), Lantana (''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...

''), Flax Lily ('' Dianella caerulea''), Bull Cane (''

Flagellaria indica ''Flagellaria indica'' is a climbing plant found in many of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, India, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, Polynesia, and Australia. A strong climber, it grows often up to tall, with thick cane-like ...

''),Floyd, R. B., & Swanson, N. M. (1983). Wedge-tailed Shearwaters on Muttonbird Island: an estimate of the breeding success and the breeding population. ''Emu, 82'', 244-250
doi:10.1071/MU9820244s
/ref> and introduced Spiny burr grass (''

Cenchrus caliculatus ''Cenchrus'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. Its species are native to many countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands. Common names include buffelgrasses, sandburs, and sand spur “s ...

'') which have spread.Swanson, N. M. (1976). Seabird Islands No 32, Mutton Bird Island, New South Wales. ''The Australian Bird Bander, 14'', 88-89.

Fauna

Birds

Seabirds Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adaptation, adapted to life within the marine (ocean), marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent ev ...

shorebirds 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

, waders,

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

and raptors depend on marine and estuaryine habitats.Higgins, P. J. (Ed.). (1999). ''Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Higgins, P. J., & Davies, S. J. J. F. (Eds.). (1996). ''Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 3: Snipe to Pigeons''. (Eds.). (1993). ''Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. The Solitary Islands are an important breeding area for marine birds such as Osprey ('' Pandion cristatus''), while threatened species such as the Australian Pied Oystercatcher ('' Haematopus longirostris''), Sooty Oystercatcher ('' H. fuliginosus'') and Beach Stone-curlew (''

Esacus magnirostris The beach stone-curlew (''Esacus magnirostris'') also known as beach thick-knee is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia. At and , it is one of the world's largest shorebirds. At a mean of in ...

'') are local shorebirds that breed in the Marine Park.NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (nd). Shorebirds of the Coffs Coast: NSW Office of Environment & Heritage. It also periodically hosts three endangered marine birds, Gould’s Petrel ('' Pterodroma leucoptera''), Wandering Albatross ('' Diomedea exulans'') and Southern Giant Petrel (''

Macronectes giganteus The southern giant petrel (''Macronectes giganteus''), also known as the Antarctic giant petrel, giant fulmar, stinker, and stinkpot, is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar northern giant pet ...

'').Rule, M. J., Jordan, A., & McIlgorm, A. (2007). ''The marine environment of northern New South Wales: a review of current knowledge and existing datasets''. Coffs Harbour: National Marine Science Centre. Endangered Little Terns ('' Sternula albifrons'') breed on beaches north and south of Coffs Harbour, between October and February, before departing on their annual migration to eastern Asia. A Little Tern Recovery Program is managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service who aim to help the species recover sufficient numbers.NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (2008). Little Terns of the Coffs Coast- Bongil Bongil National Park and Hearnes Lake: Dept of Environment & Climate Change NSW. Wedge-tailed shearwaters ('' Puffinus pacificus''), called Muttonbirds by early settlers, migrate to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, but return annually to a major breeding site at Muttonbird Island, on the southern boundary of the Marine Park.NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (2004). Muttonbird Island - Nature Reserve: Dept of Environment and Conservation. There are over 5500 breeding pairs on Muttonbird Island,Lane, S. G. (1979). Summary of the breeding seabirds on New South Wales coastal islands. ''Corella, 3'', 7-10. but breeding occurs on some of the other islands as well. Other breeding birds recorded on the islands include Little Penguins (''

Eudyptula minor The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name . The Australian lit ...

''), Black-winged Petrel ('' Pterodroma nigripennis''), Silver Gulls ('' Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'') and Crested Tern ('' Sterna bergii''). Migratory shorebirds that spend the summers at the Marine Park, like the Bar-tailed Godwit (''

Limosa lapponica The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family (biology), family Scolopacidae, which feeds on Polychaete, bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal Mudflat, mudflats and Estuary, estuaries. It has ...

''),Gill, R. E., Douglas, D. C., Handel, C. M., Tibbitts, T. L., Hufford, G., & Piersma, T. (2014). Hemispheric-scale wind selection facilitates bar-tailed godwit circum-migration of the Pacific. ''Animal Behaviour, 90'', 117-130
doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.020
/ref> Eastern Curlew (''

Numenius madagascariensis The Far Eastern curlew (''Numenius madagascariensis'') is a large Wader, shorebird most similar in appearance to the long-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown in color, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned ...

'')Finn, P. G., Catterall, C. P., & Driscoll, P. V. (2007). Determinants of preferred intertidal feeding habitat for Eastern Curlew: A study at two spatial scales. ''Austral Ecology, 32''(2), 131-144
doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01658.x
/ref> and the Ruddy Turnstone (''

Arenaria interpres The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...

''),Weishu, H., & Purchase, D. (1987). Migration of Banded Waders between China and Australia. ''Colonial Waterbirds,10'', 106-110
doi: 10.2307/1521239
/ref> breed in Siberia, Alaska or the Arctic. Raptors such as the White-breasted Sea-eagle (''

Haliaeetus leucogaster The white-bellied sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucogaster''), also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related t ...

'') Brahminy kite ('' Haliastur indus'') and Osprey are often seen hunting for fish in the Marine Park, and waterbirds such as herons and egrets (''

Egretta ''Egretta'' is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this genus are found in most of the world, and the little egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started ...

spp''), as well as sacred kingfishers ('' Todiramphus sanctus''), are regularly seen in the estuaries.

Mammals

Around 30 species of marine mammals have been recorded in the region, including the Short-beaked common dolphin (''

Delphinus delphis The common dolphin (''Delphinus delphis'') is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million. Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, with ...

'')Möller, L., Valdez, F. P., Allen, S., Bilgmann, K., Corrigan, S., & Beheregaray, L. B. (2011). Fine-scale genetic structure in short-beaked common dolphins (''Delphinus delphis'') along the East Australian Current. ''Marine Biology, 158'', 113-126
doi:10.1007/s00227-010-1546-x
/ref> and bottlenose dolphin ('' Tursiops truncates'') who are residents throughout the year. Of particular interest in the Marine Park and Reserve are those species listed as threatened and subject to national and international conventions. These mammals include humpback whales (''

Megaptera novaeangliae The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The humpb ...

''), who are commonly encountered in the area as they migrate north to their breeding grounds in June and July, and then again between September and November when they return south, Southern right whales (''

Eubalaena australis Right whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus ''Eubalaena'': the North Atlantic right whale (''E. glacialis''), the North Pacific right whale (''E. japonica'') and the Southern right whale (''E. australis''). They are class ...

'') and Blue whales (''

Balaenoptera musculus ''Balaenoptera'' () is a genus of rorquals containing eight extant species. ''Balaenoptera'' comprises all but two of the extant species in its family (the humpback whale and gray whale); the genus is currently polyphyletic, with the two afore ...

''). At the edge of the marine park, the endangered Little Bent-wing Bat, (''

Miniopterus australis The little bent-wing bat or little long-fingered bat (''Miniopterus australis'') is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu. Taxonomy The species was first describ ...

'') roost in caves on the Moonee Beach headland. While there was a lighthouse keeper on South Solitary Island, rabbits (''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

''), goats (''

Capra hircus The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of Caprinae, goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a membe ...

'') and dogs were introduced to the island to the detriment of the vegetation, but these animals have since been removed. Rats (''

Rattus norvegicus ''Rattus'' is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus. Species and description The best-known ''Rattus'' species are the black rat (''R. rattus'') ...

''), bandicoots (''

Isoodon The short-nosed bandicoots (genus ''Isoodon'') are members of the order Peramelemorphia. These marsupials can be found across Australia, although their distribution can be patchy. Genetic evidence suggests that short-nosed bandicoots diverged fro ...

spp.'') and foxes (''

Vulpes vulpes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

'') have been found on Muttonbird Island, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway, however National Parks and Wildlife Service have an eradication program in place to control this.

Fish

858 species of fish are found in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. The area around Pimpernel Rock, at the northern end of the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) is favoured by the endangered Grey nurse shark ('' Carcharias taurus''), who has a preference for gutters in reefs and submarine caves. However the most significant habitat for the grey nurse shark in the Marine Park is South Solitary Island, though they do occur throughout the park. The Great white shark ('' Carcharodon carcharias'') is also seen around Pimpernel Rock. There are many species of reef fish in the Park, including snapper (''

Pagrus auratus The Australasian snapper (''Chrysophrys auratus'') or silver seabream is a species of porgie found in coastal waters of Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and New Zealand. Its distribution areas in the Northern and ...

''), tusk fish ('' Choerodon venustus''), blue morwong ('' Nemadactylus douglasii'') and pearl perch (''

Glaucosoma scapulare ''Glaucosoma'', the pearl perches, are perciform fishes native to the Indian Ocean waters around Australia and the western Pacific Ocean. This genus is currently the only one assigned to the family Glaucosomatidae. Species The currently recogni ...

'') as well as pelagic species such as kingfish (''

Seriola lalandi The yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish, hiramasa or great amberjack (''Seriola lalandi'') is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts ''S. ...

'') that are attractive to commercial and recreational fishermen. Commercial fishing fleets operate from

and

Wooli Adam Puleo, better known by his alias Wooli, is an American riddim and dubstep DJ and producer. He is known for the songs "Island" and " Another Me", with the prior being a collaboration with American dubstep producers Seven Lions and Trivecta an ...

. The area on the western side of North West Rock (off North Solitary Island) is known as "Fish Soup” and has a very high diversity of fish. Tropical predators like spangled emperor ('' Lethrinus nebulosus''), bigeye trevally ('' Caranx sexfasciatus''), mangrove jack (''

Lutjanus argentimaculatus The mangrove red snapper (''Lutjanus argentimaculatus''), also known as mangrove jack, grey snapper, creek red bream, Stuart evader, dog bream, purple sea perch, red bream, red perch, red reef bream, river roman, or rock barramundi, is a species ...

''), moses perch ('' Lutjanus russellii'') and brown sweetlip (''

Plectorhinchus ''Plectorhinchus'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, sweetlips belonging to the subfamily Plectorhinchinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Haemulidae which also includes the grunts. The species in this genus are found in fresh ...

gibbosus'') occur with mulloway (''

Argyrosomus japonicus ''Argyrosomus japonicus'' is a silvery to bronze-green colored fish, a member of the family Sciaenidae, which may grow up to in length. It is known as Japanese meagre (FAO), mulloway or jewfish on the east coast of Australia, butterfish in South ...

''), snapper, red morwong ('' Cheilodactylus fuscus''), silver trevally (''

Pseudocaranx ''Pseudocaranx'' is a genus of ray-finned fishes from the family Carangidae, the jacks, trevallies, scads, and pompanos. They occur in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. Species Four recognized species are placed in this genus: * ' ...

georgianus''), bream (''

Acanthopagrus ''Acanthopagrus'' is a genus of fish in the family Sparidae found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Species There are currently 20 recognized species in this genus: * '' Acanthopagrus akazakii'' Iwatsuki, Kimura & Yoshino, 2006 (New ...

'' spp.) and tarwhine (''

Rhabdosargus sarba ''Rhabdosargus sarba'', also known as the goldlined seabream, silver bream, tarwhine, or yellowfin bream, is a species of fish in the seabream family, Sparidae. This species occurs Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Eastern Cape, South Africa, east ...

'').

Reptiles

Marine turtles are common in the Park, with green turtle (''

Chelonia mydas The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the Family (biology), family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia' ...

''), loggerhead turtle (''Caretta caretta''), hawksbill turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') and occasional sightings of leatherback turtles. Nesting green turtles and loggerhead turtles have been recorded on several beaches, with some eggs hatching successfully. Only a few species of sea snakes have been recorded in the region, including the Elegant sea snake (''Hydrophis elegans'') and Yellow-bellied sea snake (''Pelamis platurus''). The only reptile recorded on Muttonbird Island since 1969 is Burton’s Snake Lizard (''Lialis burtonis'') though Eastern Water Dragons (''Physignathus lesueurii'') were plentiful prior to 1930.

Invertebrates

At depths greater than 25 metres the sea bottom is dominated by sponges and invertebrates. More than 700 species of molluscs (snails and shellfish) and coral are found in the Marine Park. Invertebrate species found include blue-bottles, sea-squirts, sea-whips and black coral (''Antipatharia''), as well as oysters (''Saccostrea'' and ''Crassostrea'' species) and crustaceans such as crabs (''Scylla serrata'', ''Portunus pelagicus'' and ''Ranina ranina''), prawns (all species in family Penaeidae) and crayfish (''Jasus verreauxi'', ''Scyllarus spp.'' and ''Panulirus spp.''). Commercial prawn trawling is allowed in the general use area of the Park and crab and lobster trapping in both the general use and habitat protected areas.NSW Marine Parks Authority. (2011b). Solitary Island Marine Park & Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) - zoning summary and user guide.

Coral

The Solitary Islands region contains the southernmost extensive coral communities in coastal eastern Australia. The East Australian Current transports the coral larvae from the warm tropical waters, and with 90 reported species, there are approximately quarter of the species recorded on the Great Barrier Reef.Harriott, V. J., Smith, S. D. A., & Harrison, P. L. (1994). Patterns of coral community structure of subtropical reefs in the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve, ''Eastern Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 109'', 67-76
doi: 10.3354/meps109067
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Environmental threats and issues

Queen Mary 2 sailing past South Solitary Island

Even though the Marine Park is a protected zone, commercial fishing and recreational activities such as fishing, crabbing, boating and scuba diving are allowed in some zones of the park. Environmental threats to the Solitary Islands Marine Park may include pollution, introduced predators, oil spills, humans, dredging, sewage outfalls, shipping, marine debris, and tourism. Introduced pests such as the Pacific Oyster (''Crassostrea gigas'') and the Crown-of-thorns starfish (''Acanthaster planci'') are occasionally recorded in the area. Introduced domestic animals on South Solitary Island during the days of lighthouse keepers, destroyed the natural vegetation, and eroded topsoil,NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (2012). ''Solitary Islands group of reserves: Draft Management Plan''. NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. which in turn caused the nesting Wedgetail shearwaters’ burrows to collapse. An accidental fire on South West Solitary Island, caused by fishermen, destroyed much vegetation, killing nesting birds and their eggs. Due to the rocky nature of the area, a number of ships were wrecked on the northern NSW coast. This led to the construction of a series of lighthouses, with the South Solitary Island lighthouse being completed in 1870. During the 1960s and 70s many of the beaches were affected by sand mining. Litter in marine environments is a threat to seabirds, causing entanglement or ingestion of debris, often leading to death.

Management

South Solitary Island lighthouse and keepers' cottages

The Solitary Island Marine Park is managed by the

Maritime Parks Authority and is split into 4 management zones: Sanctuary zones (12%) which provide the highest level of environmental protection, with all fishing activities prohibited. Habitat protection zones (54%) allow for many recreational activities such as fishing but provides a high level of environmental protection. General use zone (34%) allows commercial fishing as well as a wider range of activities, and lastly the Special Purpose zones (0.1% of park) cover sites of cultural significance to the Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal community, research sites and oyster leases.NSW Marine Parks Authority. (nd). Solitary Islands Marine Park: Consultation & Management. Retrieved 20/05/2015, from http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/simp-consulatation.html South Solitary Island with its lighthouse and cottages is a historic site. Visiting the island is allowed for two weekends of the year, in July, by helicopter. Public Moorings: A number of public moorings have been installed in the Park, and are located within the sanctuary zone around Northwest Rock, North Solitary Island, North West Solitary Island, South West Solitary Island (Groper Is.), Split Solitary Island, South Solitary Island and Surgeons Reef.

References

Orignal prisms from South Solitary lighthouse

External links

Map of the eastern coast of Australia including the Solitary Islands
{{coord, 30, 12, 06, S, 153, 16, 03, E, type:landmark_region:AU-NSW_dim:50000, display=title Marine parks of New South Wales