The unique marine ecosystem surrounding Macquarie Island

The internationally significant geoheritage of Macquarie Island and the multitude of undersea features of the Macquarie Ridge are teeming with life in Australia’s Sub-Antarctic. While most humans would perceive this environment as hostile and dangerous, here we find a multitude of animals and plants prospering in one of the world’s recovering wild places.

This report brings forward the unique properties of the waters of Macquarie Island, in an area of around 478,000 km², contained within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone which is roughly a circle of 200 km radius around the island. The exclusive economic zone is an area beyond and adjacent to Australia’s territorial sea and our sovereign rights over this area allow us to explore and use resources, but also bestow on us the responsibility to understand, conserve and manage the environment for all humanity.