The Northeast Shelf Province extends along the eastern coast of Australia, from Cooktown/Cairns at its northern end to just north of Baffle Creek at its southern end. It extends from the shore to the edge of the continental shelf, and includes the central and southern portion of the Great Barrier Reef. On the north it adjoins the Northeast Shelf Transition, which includes the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait. On the south it adjoins the Central Eastern Shelf Transition, the transition between the tropical waters of eastern Australia to the warm temperate coastal waters further south.[3]
Meso-scale bioregions
The province contains six meso-scale bioregions:[3][1]
West Tropic Coast (WTC)
Central Reef (CR)
Lucinda-Mackay Coast (LMC)
Shoalwater Coast (SC)
Mackay-Capricorn (MC)
Pompey-Swains (PS)
Ecology
The bioregion has the greatest number of coral reef species in Australia. These include many eastern tropical endemic species, some of which extend into the adjacent transition regions.[3]
References
^ ab"A Guide to the Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia Version 4.0". Department of Environment and Heritage, Government of Australia. June 2006. ISBN 0 642 552274.