Underwater wonders
Ashmore Reef Marine Park is an oasis of biodiversity.
Located 630 km north of Broome in Western Australia, the marine park is at the very edge of the Australia’s continental shelf.
Recent fieldwork by CSIRO, the University of Western Australia and independent consultants will help Parks Australia adaptively manage this island sanctuary for generations to come.
[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 and you’ll reach Ashmore Reef.]
[Image changes to show birds flying above a grassy marshland on the Ashmore Reef and text appears: The three islands of Ashmore Reef are uninhabited…]
[Image changes to show a shark and other fish swimming around a colourful coral reef and text appears: … but they’re home to an abundance of life…]
[Image changes to show birds flying across a lagoon at sunset]
[Image changes to show a view of small tropical fish swimming over a coral reef and the camera pans over the reef and text appears: … above and below the water.]
[Image changes to show another view of fish swimming amongst the coral and sea plants and text appears: We know Ashmore Reef Marine Park is ecologically very important.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a large clam type shell on the bed of the reef and text appears: And there’s a lot to learn about how the reef’s land and marine communities interact with each other.]
[Image changes to show people digging a hole on a sandy dune and text appears: Scientists from CSIRO, University of Western Australia, and marine park managers…]
[Image changes to show two scientists looking down at a map and talking]
[Image changes to show a male looking at an insect in his fingers and then the image changes to show a view of sand dunes leading down to the beach and text appears: … visited Ashmore Reef in 2019 to undertake comprehensive ecological surveys.]
[Image changes to show a female picking up samples from in the sand on a dune and placing them into a plastic container]
[Image changes to show birdlife flying over the grassland at dusk and text appears: Our work will inform how Parks Australia manages Ashmore Reef Marine Park into the future.]
[Image changes to show a screen split into four showing video footage of a bird perched on a fishing buoy, fish swimming on a coral reef, a tree in the dunes, and a male operating a drone]
[Image changes to show birds flying above a scrubby coastal landscape and the camera pans along following the birds and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Important Bird Area Birdlife International badges and text appears: Seabirds flock here and nest in their thousands.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a female tern feeding her chick with a small fish while two other adult terns look on]
[Image changes to show seabirds flying over scrubby coastal lands and text appears: Over 40 species of birds are found here.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a grey-tailed tattler bird and text appears: This includes migratory shorebirds like this grey-tailed tattler]
[Image changes to show the grey-tailed tattler flying down across the surface of a map from Siberia to Ashmore Reef in Australia and text appears: … that fly to Ashmore Reef from their breeding grounds… in Siberia!]
[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’re using new technology like drones…]
[Image changes to show a view of a drone moving through the air]
[Image changes to show a close view of a female looking through a camera on a tripod and text appears: … and more traditional methods such as spotting scopes, binoculars and cameras…]
[Image changes to show birds flying and nesting at sunset on dead trees and text appears: … to better understand how birds are using Ashmore Reef.]
[Image changes to show a view of tropical fish swimming over coral and the camera pans along the coral reef and text appears: Below the waves, a colourful world brims with life.]
[Image changes to show a turtle swimming over sea plants on the sea floor and text appears: It’s a wonderland of corals, clams, turtles and fish.]
[Image changes to show colourful green fish swimming over a coral plant and text appears: There are over 500 species of fish, including sharks.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a shark resting on the sea floor and then the image changes to show a close view of a dugong with tropical fish swimming around it and text appears: If you’re very lucky, you might see a dugong munching on seagrass.]
[Image changes to show a sea snake moving over the ocean floor and text appears: Once upon a time, you’d definitely have spotted sea snakes.]
[Camera pans along following the path of the sea snake and text appears: But they’ve been disappearing and we don’t know why.]
[Image changes to show two divers on an inflatable boat and text appears: We’ll be trying to explain this and other underwater mysteries.]
[Image changes to show the diver jumping over the side of the boat into the water and then the image changes to show two males on a grassy area doing some surveying and taking photos and text appears: On land, CSIRO scientists are surveying the plants.]
[Camera zooms in on the grass they’re looking at and then the image changes to show three scientists gathered around looking at some paperwork and text appears: We used drones to map, measure and identify these plants.]
[Camera zooms in on the map they are looking at and one of the scientists can be seen drawing on the map and text appears: This data will create the first complete map of Ashmore’s plants and plant communities.]
[Image changes to show a satellite map of the world and then it gradually zooms in on the Ashmore Reef and pinpoints the Ashmore Reef and text appears: Even though Ashmore Reef is a very long way from land…]
[Image changes to show a view looking over the water and text appears:… its islands are now home to introduced animals and plants.]
[Image changes to show a male walking along a beach and then bending down under a shrub and looking at a sample on the ground and text appears: The invasive tropical fire ant is found across all three of Ashmore’s islands.]
[Camera zooms in on a bird carcase with fire ants climbing over it and text appears: Known as an aggressive predator, they may put seabird chicks and turtle hatchlings at risk.]
[Image changes to show birds flying over the grassland and the camera gradually pans over the scrub and grassland and text appears: There are also introduced weeds across the islands…]
[Image changes to show an area of Buffel grass pinpointed in the coastal grassland and text appears: … including one of Australia’s worsts weeds – buffel grass.]
[Image changes to show a male looking down at the grassland and then a piece of paper and text appears: We completed invasive species surveys using observation, traps and mapping…]
[Image changes to show ants climbing over a piece of meat which is resting on a piece of paper next to a pink flag]
[Image changes to show a view of birdlife flying over grassland and a bird can be seen nesting in a dead scrubby tree and text appears: … to better understand the impacts of these species on Ashmore Reef’s natural environment.]
[Image changes to show a screen split into four show video footage of a diver sitting in the boat, two crabs fighting on a sea bird carcase, a view looking down on a sandy beach, and seabirds flying at dusk]
[Image changes to show a female riding in an inflatable dinghy and text appears: All of this information will support Parks Australia in its management of Ashmore Reef Marine Park.]
[Image changes to show an experiment set up on the bed of the ocean amongst the sea plants]
[Image changes to show a diver swimming through a school of fish]
[Image changes to show a view looking down on a boat moving through the ocean away from the camera and text appears: Analysing the data we’ve collected will tell us how healthy this remote coral reef is…]
[Image changes to show a turtle swimming over the sea plants on the seabed and text appears: … and how we can look after it for future generations.]
[Camera pans along following the turtle swimming and fish can be seen in the background and text appears: Thank you to Michelle Glover, Lauren Hardiman, Ruchira Somaweer, Bruce Webber and Paul Yeoh for the footage]
[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]
Corals
Ashmore Reef Marine Park is brimming with biodiversity.
If you dipped your head under water, you’d see fish, sea turtles, giant clams, sharks, sea cucumbers, sponges and colourful coral.
At 255 species, the Marine Park has what’s thought to be the greatest number of reef-building coral species of any reef area off of the Western Australian coast.
[Music plays and an image appears of a view looking down on a coral reef and the camera pans over the coral reef showing coloured coral and colourful fish and text appears: Coral Reef Communities of Ashmore Reef]
[Image changes to show a view looking down on a diver swimming through the ocean surrounded by a school of fish and text appears: 600 kilometres off the coast of Broome…]
[Image changes to show the colourful coral and the camera pans over the coral and text appears: … a colourful world brims with life.]
[Image changes to show a view looking down on two scientists snorkelling in the water and text appears: CSIRO scientists and marine park managers…]
[Image changes to show a view looking at the scientist underwater making notes snorkelling]
[Image changes to show fish and sharks swimming around the coral and text appears: … are surveying Ashmore Reef’s marine life.]
[Image changes to show the two divers sitting on an inflatable boat and then the image shows one of the divers hopping over the edge and jumping into the water and text appears: This remote spot lies within Ashmore Reef Marine Park, in Western Australia.]
[Image changes to show myriads of tropical fish swimming over the coral and text appears: What lives in these coral reefs?]
[Image changes to show a turtle swimming over the plants on the sea floor and text appears: There are sea turtles, including loggerhead and green turtles.]
[Image changes to show a shark resting on the ocean floor and the camera pans along the length of the shark and text appears: There are over 500 species of fish, including sharks.]
[Image changes to show some colourful tropical fish swimming around a dugong and text appears: There are also dugongs that feed on the seagrass.]
[Image changes to show a sea snake moving over the reef and text appears: Once upon a time, you would have definitely spotted sea snakes, but they’ve been disappearing and we don’t know why.]
[Image changes to show the two divers making notes and observing the ocean floor and text appears: We’ll be trying to explain this, and other underwater mysteries.]
[Image changes to show a diver swimming down to the ocean floor and fish can be seen swimming around and text appears: How? Using surveys conducted day and night…]
[Image changes to show a close view of a diver’s face mask as he swims and text appears: … snorkelling, walking and towing underwater cameras carefully across the reef to ensure nothing is missed.]
[Image changes to show a view of a towed camera and then the image changes to show the boat on the surface of the water towing the camera behind it]
[Image changes to show a view looking down on a larger boat in the ocean and text appears: The data we’ve collected will tell us how healthy this remote coral reef is…]
[Image changes to show new text appears: … and how Parks Australia can best look after it.]
[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]
Birds
Each year, some 100,000 birds breed on the tiny islands of Ashmore Reef Marine Park.
The sound of the birds—and the smell of their guano!—fills the air.
[Sounds of bird calls can be heard and an image appears of birds roosting in trees and flying around in the sunset and text appears: Birds of Ashmore Reef]
[Music plays and the image changes to show birds flying above a scrubby coastal landscape and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Important Bird Area Birdlife International badges and text appears: Ashmore Reef is internationally recognised for its bird life.]
[Camera pans across the scrubby coastal landscape showing the birds flying through the air above the grasses and text appears: Over 40 species of birds are found here, protected within an Australian Marine Park.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a grey-tailed tattler standing in some water and text appears: This includes migratory shorebirds like this grey-tailed tattler…]
[Image changes to show the grey-tailed tattler flying down across the surface of a map from Siberia to Ashmore Reef in Australia and text appears: … that flies to Ashmore Reef from their breeding grounds… in Siberia!]
[Image changes to show a very close view of a frigatebird and text appears: And others that come here in their thousands to breed… like this frigatebird.]
[Camera zooms out slightly on the frigatebird and then the image changes to show a male and female on the deck of a boat talking and text appears: Together with parks Australia and the University of Western Australia…]
[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 technology like drones.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a female looking through a camera on a tripod and text appears: … and more traditional methods such as spotting scopes, binoculars and cameras…]
[Image changes to show birds flying over grasslands and the camera pans along following the birds and text appears: … to better understand how birds are using Ashmore Reef.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a bird perched on a fishing buoy in the middle of the water and text appears: Who is visiting this slice of paradise?]
[Image changes to show birds flying around and nesting in trees at sunset and text appears: And where are they nesting?]
[Image changes to show new text: Park managers will use these data to look after Ashmore’s feathered residents.]
[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]
Plants
They say a picture plants a thousand words.
The islands of Ashmore Reef Marine Park are home to grasses, herbs, shrubs and the occasional tree.
We used drones to survey the islands, identify plants, and create the first map of Ashmore Reef’s vegetation.
Terrestrial Vegetation of Ashmore Reef
[Music plays and an image appears of grassland on the Ashmore Reef and text appears: Terrestrial Vegetation of Ashmore Reef]
[Image changes to show a view of the beach and text appears: On the very edge of Australia’s continental shelf lies Ashmore Reef Marine Park.]
[Image changes to show a view of coastal plants waving in the wind and a map of the Ashmore Reef area can be seen faintly in the background and text appears: The three sandy islands of Ashmore Reef are home to a variety of plants…]
[Image changes to show two scientists standing in amongst the coastal plants taking photographs and making notes and texts appears: … like grasses, herbs, shrubs and the occasional small tree.]
[Image changes to show flowers in the front of the video and the image shows one of the scientists bending down and looking at the grass]
[Image changes to show a rear view of a scientist looking at the grassland and at a piece of paper and text appears: CSIRO scientists surveyed plants, big and small.]
[Image changes to show a close view of a drone on the sandy beach and text appears: We used drones to map, measure and identify these plants.]
[Image changes to show the drone in the air and text appears: Like this large drone with laser-mapping capability…]
[Image changes to show a rear view of a male on the sandy beach standing back as the drone he is operating takes off and text appears: … and smaller drones to provide fine-scale data on plants.]
[Image changes to show a very close view of a scientist marking things on to a map and text appears: These data will create the first complete map of Ashmore Reef’s plants and plant communities.]
[Image changes to show the two scientists taking photos and making notes while standing amongst the coastal plants and text appears: Using new technologies like drones help researchers and marine park managers to gather data more efficiently…]
[Image changes to show a close view of a bird flying through the air and then many seabirds can be seen higher up in the background and text appears: … with fewer environmental impacts.]
[Camera pans over the sky showing the clouds and birds flying and text appears: That’s a positive outcome for everyone.]
[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]
Introduced species
Tropical fire ants, weeds, geckos, oh my!
Unfortunately, Ashmore Reef's isolation alone isn't enough to protect it from introduced species.
So we’re working with an all-star cast to look after this biodiversity hotspot for future generations.
Scientists from the CSIRO, the University of Western Australia, and other marine park managers surveyed invasive species, including one of Australia’s worst weeds: buffel grass.
[Music plays and an image appears of Ashmore Reef in the middle of the ocean and the camera zooms in and text appears: Introduced Species of Ashmore Reef]
[Image changes to show a view of the beach and text appears: Even though Ashmore Reef is a very long way from land…]
[Image changes to show a close view of an ant and text appears: … it’s islands are now home to introduced animals and plants.]
[Image changes to show a female putting a pink flag into the sandy soil and putting a specimen into a plastic container as she squats down next to the pink flag and text appears: They’re unwelcome guests.]
[Image changes to show a downy white chick on a nest and the camera zooms in on the chick and text appears: The invasive tropical fire ant is found across all three of Ashmore’s islands.]
[Image changes to show fire ants moving over the body of a dead seabird and text appears: An aggressive predator, they devour everything in their path…]
[Image changes to show the fire ants entering a seabird egg as the chick is trying to hatch out and text appears: … potentially putting seabird chicks and turtle hatchlings at risk.]
[Image changes to show birds flying over the grassland and text appears: There are also introduced weeds across the islands…]
[Image changes to show a patch of Buffel grass pinpointed in the grassland area and text appears: … including one of Australia’s worst weeds; buffel grass.]
[Image changes to show a close view of two adult terns and text appears: This weed is a threat to native plants and the habitat of nesting seabirds.]
[Image changes to show two scientists looking at their traps and making notes and text appears: Scientists from CSIRO have completed invasive species counts using bait traps and observation…]
[Image changes to show a close view of fire ants on a piece of meat next to a pink flag in the sand]
[Image changes to show a rear view of a scientist looking over grassland and then making notes and text appears: … to better understand the impacts of these species on Ashmore Reef’s natural environment.]
[Image changes to show birds flying and roosting in the trees at dusk and text appears: Our work will inform how Parks Australia manages Ashmore Reef Marine Park into the future.]
[Music plays and the University of Western Australia, Australian Government Parks Australia, Australian Marine Parks and CSIRO logos appear on a white screen]
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