Ecosystem Reference
Ecosystem North Australian Shelf
Type Sea/Bay/Gulf
Salinity saltwater
Other Names
Location
LME SAU No 39. Northern and northwestern Australian coast. Includes Timor Sea and Arafura Sea (163). LME2002, LME2006, SAU 2008. 9° S 22° S - 113° E 142° E
Location Map North_Australian_Shelf.png
Size Ref
River Length Area 779892 km2 Drainage Area
Depth
Average Depth Max Depth Ref
Temperature
Surface 27.0 °C Map99.gif
100 Meters Depth 23.0 °C Map100.gif
Description The continental shelf of northwestern Australia supports a diverse and productive demersal fish community, historically fished by foreign fleets for Lethrinus, Nemipterus, Saurida, and Lutjanus species. A small domestic trap fishery for Lethrinus, Lutjanus, and Epinephelus also exists in areas subjected to little trawling. After examining several possible management regimes, the government of Australia divided the area into three zones and closed two of them to pair trawling. It is anticipated that trap fishery expansion will be attempted in the two closed areas after the species composition changes induced by trawling are reversed (http://www.na.nmfs.gov/lme/text/lme39.htm).
Comments on faunal list Area from SAU (November 2015).
URL 1 http://www.seaaroundus.org/lme/39.aspx
URL 2
Ecosystem Checklist Link
Total
FishBase Literature
Species Families Species Families Reference
1797 221
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