Seascapes

Sandy beaches

The park contains about 40 sandy beaches ranging from 100 m to many kilometres long.

  • They support a diverse range of invertebrates including crustaceans, beach worms and molluscs.
  • They provide important habitats for:
    • baitfish species, including pilchards, pipis, beach worms and anchovies:
    • fish species such as mullet and sand whiting.
  • Sandy beach shallows and exposed sandy beach surf areas are important fish nurseries.
  • Sandy beaches are key feeding and roosting sites for shorebirds, seabirds and migratory wading birds, including threatened species such as the little tern and pied oystercatcher.

Estuaries, creeks and rivers

The marine park has 15 estuaries:

  • Sandon River, Wooli Wooli River, Corindi River, Moonee Creek and Coffs Creek are barrier lagoons that are permanently open in most cases. They have:
    • larger catchment areas;
    • large salinity variations;
    • a high diversity of marine and brackish water plant species.
  • Station Creek, Arrawarra Creek, Darkum Creek, Woolgoolga Lake, and Hearnes Lake are intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs).  They have:
    • smaller catchment areas;
    • lower average salinity;
    • brackish-to-fresh waters;
    • a lower marine vegetation diversity;
    • a higher brackish and fresh water vegetation diversity.

Mangroves

Mangroves are found in all the park's estuaries.

  • Because of its subtropical and temperate climates, all seven species recorded in NSW are found in the Sandon River and Wooli Wooli River.
  • Mangrove habitats are high in biodiversity – containing many fish, birds and invertebrates.
  • Mangroves are nurseries for many species of fish, crabs and prawns, which seek shelter among submerged roots and trunks.
  • They are also important for adult fish including bream, mullet and whiting.

Saltmarsh

Saltmarsh is a distinct habitat found in the upper intertidal area of shorelines in estuaries and bays.

  • Significant saltmarsh communities exist in the Sandon, Wooli Wooli, Corindi and Moonee Creek estuaries.
  • Saltmarsh generally contains a diverse range of grasses, saltbushes, rushes and sedges. It helps control floods and erosion, reduce pollution and trap sediments.

Seagrass

The park contains two species of seagrass:

  • Zostera capricorni (eelgrass);
  • Halophila ovalis (paddle weed).

Seagrass beds occur in:

  • estuaries subject to regular tidal flushing;
  • Woolgoolga Reef, Minnie Water Lagoon and Sandon Headland.

Seagrasses are important for:

  • providing habitat for diverse flora and fauna;
  • generally supporting a much higher diversity and abundance of fish than unvegetated areas;
  • providing habitat for juvenile commercial and recreational species, such as snapper, yellow-fin bream, tarwhine and luderick.

Rocky shores

The park's diverse intertidal habitats provide:

  • for a range of species, including barnacles, snails, worms and algae;
  • roosting and feeding habitat for seabirds such as the sooty oystercatcher.

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