Moreton Bay Ramsar internationally important wetland

Overview

 

 

 

 

The international importance of wetland areas within Moreton Bay was recognised with parts of the Bay and surrounds being designated as a Ramsar site in 1993. Covering more than 120,000ha, the Moreton Bay Ramsar site is extremely varied, ranging from perched freshwater lakes and sedge swamps on the offshore sand islands, to intertidal mudflats, marshes, sandflats, coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves next to the Bay’s islands and the mainland. This variety enhances the Bay’s biological diversity with an overlap of wildlife species normally considered tropical or temperate.

The site contains extensive intertidal areas that are valuable for supporting waterbirds and fauna of conservation significance, as well as providing important nursery conditions for fish and crustaceans.

Further information about the wetland values and management of the site can be found in the documents below:

The Moreton Bay Ramsar Information Sheet describes the boundary of the site and outlines justification for the listing. The RIS also describes the ecological character, threats, conservation measures and use of the site.

Moreton Bay—a wetland of international importance provides a summary of the values of the site.

Protecting and managing Ramsar sites is a collaborative effort. Federal, state and local governments work together with natural resource management groups, private industry, Traditional Owners, landholders and the community to care for the sites and the values they support.

Relevant protected area management plans can be found here and information on the Moreton Bay Marine Park can be found here. A full list of the areas covered by protected areas and council reserves are available through the Ramsar Information Sheet.

Additional resources can be found at the following links:

• Information on Australia’s nationally and internationally important (Ramsar) wetlands and the Ramsar Convention can be found here.
• For more information on Ramsar, see the Ramsar website, with the Moreton Bay Ramsar site on the RSIS site.
• The Australian Government also provides a summary of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site on the Australian Wetlands Database.
• Information on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Site network, for which Moreton Bay is part of (EAAF013).
• Poster of Queensland's 5 Ramsar sites
• The Moreton Bay Quandamooka & Catchment: Past, present, and future book
• Managing Threats to Migratory Shorebirds in Moreton Bay

Wetlands International provides a Ramsar Sites: Directory and Overview for preparing reports on specific aspects of the site.

Catchment stories

Wetland observations

Show comparison charts

Wetland extents

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

Wetland extent changes

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

External links/description

Wildlife