Nelson Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a 6,123 km2 marine protected area within Australian waters located in the Southern Ocean See Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean regarding differing recognitions of the boundaries near the South Australia-Victoria border. The reserve was established in 2007 and is part of the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.
The reserve spans deepwater ecosystems (below ) and encloses geological features including plateaus, knolls, canyons and the abyssal plain. It is an important migration area for humpback, blue, fin and possibly sei whales.
Protection The entirety of the Nelson marine reserve area is IUCN protected area category VI and is zoned as 'Special Purpose'.
ZoneIUCNActivities permittedArea(km2) Recreational fishing Commercial fishing Mining Special Purpose VI 6,123
See also
Commonwealth marine reserves Protected areas of Australia Great Australian Bight
Notes
References
External links Nelson Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network website