But some sea cucumber numbers are very low, indicating they have not recovered from historical illegal fishing at least one species is locally extinct.”īruce and John were supported by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists from CSIRO, University of Western Australia and independent consultants, Dr Daniela Ceccarelli and Dr Chris Surman. We’re happy to report the giant clam was found at Ashmore Reef for the first time since 2006.

“The 200 coral reef and seagrass habitats sites we surveyed are in good condition. Future management will need to take a holistic approach to managing species interactions if we are to successfully preserve this Marine Park’s unique values.”ĭr John Keesing, Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, led the marine science team. But weeds and pests pose key threats to Ashmore Reef Marine Park. “The good news is that, on the islands, we found the seabird colonies are still in good health. The team took a 120-hour round trip from Broome to Ashmore Reef to do surveys on two voyages: in April and July of 2019.ĭr Bruce Webber, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, led the terrestrial survey.

To understand more, Parks Australia brought together a team of scientists to undertake the biggest ‘health checks’ of Ashmore Reef. Sadly, weeds and introduced species like mice, tropical fire ants, and Asian house geckos could be putting Ashmore’s island ecosystems at risk. A large bale of more than 50 sea turtles at Ashmore Reef.

Treasure by W.A. Hoffman