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Marine National Parks & Sanctuaries
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Victoria’s Rocky Reefs are fascinating habitats that are rich in life. Many marine animals and plants need to attach themselves to something solid for their survival. While we do not have reef building corals in Victoria, many of our rocky reefs are covered in brightly coloured animals and plants. Reefs are found where rocks occur above or below the waterline. As the rocks are eroded, by the action of water, cracks and holes appear which increase the availability of shelter for living things. Different rock types weather in different ways and often contain different species of inhabitants. Many different species of invertebrates cover rocky reef walls where sunlight is scarce and algae cannot grow. Where ledges, caves, or arches are carved into the rock, suitable habitat for many of these filter feeding animals is created. Below the low tide mark, rocky reefs can support extensive communities of marine plants which can form kelp forests. |
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Rocky Reefs Photo Gallery | |
Underwater video gallery | ||
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Sandy Shore | |
Rocky Reefs | ||
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Kelp Forests | |||
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Seagrass Beds | |
Sandy Beds | ||
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Deep Reefs | ||||