Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Climate change
    Climate change Driving climate action, science and innovation so we are ready for the future.
    • Climate science and adaptation
    • Australia's climate change strategies
    • Emissions reduction
    • Emissions reporting
    • International commitments
    • Climate Active
    • Climate change publications and data
    • Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (Emissions Data)
    Stronger action on climate change

    Stronger action on climate change

    See how the Australian Government is committed to taking more ambitious action on climate change.

    Find out more

  • Energy
    Energy Building a secure and sustainable energy system for all Australians.
    • Energy policy in Australia
    • Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
    • Renewable energy
    • Energy publications
    • energy.gov.au
    • Energy Rating
    • Commercial Building Disclosure Program
    • Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
    • Your Home
    • Reducing transport emissions
    Photo of commercial laundry focused on a washer and dryer

    Energy Ratings labels

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • Biodiversity
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Invasive species
    • Land
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
    • Wildlife trade
    Decorative image

    Read our Nature Positive Plan

    Our plan sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to environmental law reform

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water supply for industry, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Office of the Science Convenor
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Our climate is changing

    Our climate is changing

    Find out more about how climate science helps Australians with the impacts of climate change.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We lead Australia’s response to climate change and sustainable energy use, and protect our environment, heritage and water.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • People and jobs
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    2023-24 May Budget

    2023-24 Budget

    The 2023-24 Budget has been delivered. Find out what's been announced.

    Find out what's been announced

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Water
  3. Wetlands
  4. Wetlands publications
  5. Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar site – Ramsar Information Sheet

Sidebar first - EN - Wetlands

  • Wetlands publications and resources
    • Wetlands Australia

Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar site – Ramsar Information Sheet

2020
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Download
Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar site – Ramsar Information Sheet (PDF 672.3KB)
Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar site – Ramsar Information Sheet (DOC 118.2KB)

Additional reports and documents attached to RIS

Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Additional reports and documents (PDF - 2.32 MB)
Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Additional reports and documents (DOCX - 1.79 MB)

About the document

Ramsar Information Sheets provide information on wetlands that have been designated under the Ramsar Convention as Wetlands of International Importance. A Ramsar Information Sheet includes information on wetland types, ecology, land uses, threats, hydrological values and maps for the site.

Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar Site includes approximately 330 km of coastline (including islands) along the central coast of Queensland, Australia. The southern boundary, at Corio Bay, and northern boundary, at Broome Head, are approximately 50 km and 125 km north of Rockhampton, respectively.

The site is part of the largest ‘wilderness’ area within the Central Queensland Coast Biogeographic Region. It represents a climatic overlap of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate species and supports diverse, extensive and relatively undisturbed wetland systems including subtidal beds, shallow marine waters, coral reefs, intertidal marshes and forests, peatlands, freshwater marshes and pools, sinkholes and springs.

The site contains over 13,000 ha of seagrass beds that are considered to be some of the most extensive on Australia’s east coast. These beds provide important feeding grounds for dugongs and green turtles and habitat for fisheries species. Diverse and abundant mangrove communities provide habitat for many species, including nursery areas for fish and roosting and sheltering sites for shorebirds. Extensive freshwater peat swamps in the site are rare within the bioregion and elsewhere in Australia.

The site is biodiverse, supporting approximately 908 native plants and native animals comprising 445 fish, 11 frogs, 60 reptiles, 265 birds, and 42 mammals. Globally threatened marine species include the green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate), flatback (Natator depressus), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles and dugong (Dugong dugong). It is of international importance to listed migratory bird species and regularly supports more than 20,000 waterbirds; many listed under the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA), China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and/or Republic of Korea-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA). Shoalwater Bay is also listed as a Network Site under the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (Site code EAAF094).

Further information

  • Australian Wetlands Database – Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 03 October 2021

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.