A-snap-shot-of-Ashmore-Reef-Marine-Park

[Sounds of waves can be heard and an image appears looking down on coloured coral underneath the water and text appears: Have you heard of Ashmore Reef?]

[Music plays and the image changes to show a view of a boat moving away from the camera through the ocean and text appears: A tiny dot in the Indian Ocean, it’s one of Australia’s national treasures, protected within an Australian Marine Park.]

[Image changes to show an animation of a ship moving around from Broome in Western Australia out to the Ashmore Reef and text appears: Travel 600 km north from Broome…]

[Image changes to show a turtle swimming along the reef and text appears: … and you’ll reach Ashmore Reef.]

[Image changes to show a close view looking up from the waves of the sea to the birds flying in the air and text appears: The three islands of Ashmore Reef are uninhabited…]

[Image changes to show seabirds flying above the scrubby coast and text appears: … but they’re home to seabirds, that flock here and nest in their thousands.]

[Image changes to show a close view of very colourful coral under the water and text appears: Below the waves, a colourful world brims with life.]

[Image changes to show tropical fish swimming through the sea plants and coral]

[Image changes to show a close view of a large clam type shell on the bed of the reef and the camera zooms right in on the clam shell and text appears: It’s a wonderland of corals, clams, turtles and fish.]

[Image changes to show a close view of a shark resting on the sea floor and text appears: We know Ashmore Reef Marine Park is ecologically very important…]

[Image changes to show scientists digging a hole on a sandy dune and text appears: …there’s a lot to learn about how the reef’s land and marine communities interact with each other.]

[Image changes to show a female picking up samples from in the sand on a dune and placing them into a plastic container next to a pink flag and text appears: CSIRO scientists have worked closely with the University of Western Australia and Parks Australia…]

[Image changes to show two scientists looking down at a map of the reef and text appears: … to survey the lands and waters at Ashmore Reef.]

[Image changes to show a diver jumping over the side of a boat and into the water and then the image changes to show the diver below the water surveying the ocean floor and text appears: This information will be used to support the management of Ashmore Reef Marine Park.]

[Camera zooms out to show the second diver swimming under the water too]

[Image changes to show a rear view of a male standing on a sandy beach and then standing back as he operates a drone which takes off from the sandy beach and text appears: We used new techniques and new technology…]

[Image changes to show a view of the drone in the air]

[Image changes to show hands making notes on a map and text appears: … to monitor, map and measure the health of habitats, species and communities.]

[Image changes to show the camera panning over the coral reef and many tropical fish can be seen and text appears: We looked at fish and marine invertebrates…]

[Image changes to show ants swarming over a piece of meat in the sand next to a pink flag and text appears: … ants, crabs, reptiles, birds and both native and non-native plants.]

[Image changes to show bird life flying over a grassy marshland at dusk and text appears: What did we find?]

[Image changes to show a view looking down on a diver moving along the ocean floor and being overtaken by a school of fish as he swims and text appears: Keep watching our Ashmore Reef series to find out…]

[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]