An eco-narrative of Huon Marine Park: South-east marine region. Report to the National Environmental Science Programme

This report is one in a series of eco-narrative documents that synthesise our existing knowledge of individual Australian Marine Parks. This series is a product of the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub Project D1, which seeks to collate, synthesise and visualise biophysical data within the parks. These

documents are intended to enable managers and practitioners to rapidly ascertain the ecological characteristics of each park, and to highlight knowledge gaps for future research focus.

Overall, the surface waters Huon Marine Park are characterised by moderate to high productivity, as shown by satellite-derived measures of chlorophyll-a that show the park is among the top 10 for productivity of allAustralian Marine Parks. Satellite data also show the park is experiencing a clear trend of warming within its surface waters and is within the reach of marine heat waves through connectivity with the East Australian Current.

Huon Marine Park is characterised by a diversity of seabed habitats, ranging from low profile reefs and sediment plains on the continental shelf to a cluster of seamounts on the continental slope and low gradient plains on the continental rise. The shelf reefs and seamounts are the better documented habitats within the park and are the focus of this initial characterisation of the park.