Why is Cook Island an aquatic reserve?
Cook Island was declared an aquatic reserve in 1998, as it hosts an amazing diversity of marine life, including hard and soft corals.
Cook Island is considered to support the most diverse subtidal communities within the Tweed region*.
Green turtle resting in coral garden (Gary Shuttleworth)
Diversity of marine life (Gary Shuttleworth)
Variety of soft and hard corals (Gary Shuttleworth)
A haven of rocky reef surrounded by a seabed of mostly soft sediment, the reef provides a solid surface for marine life to attach, and the island itself provides some shelter from harsh oceanic conditions.
Cook Island, along with Nguthungulli Julian Rocks and the Solitary Islands further south, provide 'stepping stones' for tropical marine species dispersing southwards along the coast. The rocky reef systems for all these islands are conserved in marine protected areas.
Tropical, subtropical and temperate marine life blend together at Cook Island, along with species that are endemic to the area. Fish and mollusc diversity is high.
Threatened and protected species found here include giant Queensland groper, goldspotted rock cod (formerly known as estuary cod), grey nurse shark and White’s seahorse. Black rockcod may also occur here.
Cook Island was previously called Turtle Island as the surrounding waters are a hotspot for threatened green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. The island itself supports a large population of nesting seabirds.
Objectives for Cook Island Aquatic Reserve
The objectives of Cook Island Aquatic Reserve are to:
- conserve the biodiversity of fish and marine vegetation
- protect aquatic habitats
- protect threatened species and manage protected species
- facilitate educational activities
- facilitate scientific research.
* DeGood, M (ed) 2016 The fragile edge: a natural history of the Tweed Coast
