Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve

The Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve is located offshore from NW Australia (see map) in Australia's northern network of marine protected areas. A management plan for this area is currently under development. This area is vast (~71,745 square km). View the interactive maps below to learn more about this region.

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Voyages of the RV Southern Surveyor in the Oceanic Shoals CMR, 2006
The RV Southern Surveyor was a 66.1 m research vessel operated by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 2003-2013 (take a virtual tour).
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Voyages of the RV Southern Surveyor in the Oceanic Shoals CMR, 2005
The RV Southern Surveyor was a 66.1 m research vessel operated by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 2003-2013 (take a virtual tour).
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Voyages of the RV Southern Surveyor in the Oceanic Shoals CMR, 2003
The RV Southern Surveyor was a 66.1 m research vessel operated by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 2003-2013 (take a virtual tour).
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RV Solander voyages near the Oceanic Shoals CMR
The RV Solander is a 34.9 m long marine research vessel operated by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (take a virtual tour, map its current position).
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Hazardous spills in Australian waters
Australia is the fifth largest user of shipping in the world with more than 11,000 vessels from 600 overseas ports visiting Australia's 65 major ports each year.
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Maritime boundaries and the Oceanic Shoals CMR
As an island continent, Australia has sovereign rights over a vast area of ocean, along with the fishery, mineral, and petroleum resources found in that area.
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Marine sediments in the Oceanic Shoals CMR
The type, size and distribution of sediments on the seabed plays an important role in determining the suitability of a given area for settlement by benthos.
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Dusky whaler shark home range map
Dusky whaler sharks are widely distributed throughout the world's tropical and warm temperate waters (watch a video). This includes NW Australia's Oceanic Shoals CMR. Use the interactive map below to explore the home range of these sharks within and beyond the CMR. How to use the map Click on this icon at the top left of the map to see a full screen version. Click on this icon also at the top left of the map to zoom in closer to (+) or further from (-) the map.
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See how shipping density has changed over time
Australia is the fifth largest user of shipping in the world with more than 11,000 vessels from 600 overseas ports visiting Australia's 65 major ports each year.
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Find out where scientists have surveyed the Oceanic Shoals Australia Marine Park in detail, and what they have learned.