River Derwent Marine Conservation Area

The Derwent estuary is a unique habitat where tidal seawater and fresh river water mix and support species that are adapted to this specific environment.

The estuary can be loosely classified into lower, middle and upper areas that differ in their physical aspects of the shoreline, underwater environment, depth, formation and salinity.

The River Derwent Marine Conservation Area is the largest reserve on the estuary sitting between New Norfolk in the west and Dogshear Point in the east.

This marine conservation area provides habitat for a number of threatened species including the Australian Grayling (Prototroctes maraena).

The first reserve area for black swans was proclaimed in 1920 as a “sanctuary for Black Swans” and replaced in 1928 as “a sanctuary for birds generally.”

References:

• Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife. 2020. https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/marine-reserves/marine-conservation-areas#RiverDerwen%E2%80%8Bt%C2%A0%3Cbr%3E. Accessed on 17 Sept. 2024.
• Derwent Estuary Program. About the Derwent. https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/about-the-derwent