An offshore marine park protecting deep ocean waters, seamounts, and continental slope ecosystems off New South Wales.
Central Eastern Marine Park
The Central Eastern Marine Park is a large offshore Australian marine park located off the coast of New South Wales. It extends from the outer edge of the continental shelf, beginning around 30 km from Coffs Harbour, out to roughly 200 km offshore into deep ocean waters. The park incorporates the waters above the southern portion of the Tasmantid Seamount Chain, making it a significant protected area for both deep-ocean and seafloor features.
The park covers more than 70,000 square kilometers of ocean and is assigned IUCN Category IV status, indicating its role in habitat and species management. It is one of eight parks that together form the Temperate East Marine Parks Network, managed by Parks Australia. The marine park combines deep seafloor habitats, canyons, pinnacles, and seamount environments with open-ocean ecosystems that support migratory marine species.
Central Eastern Marine Park is notable for its combination of continental slope features, abyssal plain environments, and isolated seamount systems. These varied seafloor and water column environments support biologically important areas for whales, sharks, and seabirds, giving the park both ecological and conservation significance within Australia's broader network of temperate marine reserves.
