Marine Places
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it contains one of the largest, most diverse seagrass beds in the world. Its 12 species of seagrass, which include Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia australis, dominate the subtidal zone to depths of about 40 ft (12 m). The vast seagrass beds provide food for one of the world’s largest populations of dugongs, which are preyed on by sharks. The adjacent Hamelin Pool is too salty for seagrasses, but it is well known for the growth of stromatolites (see Bacteria and Archaea).
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- Indian Ocean East
- Coastal Type Shallow, semi-enclosed bay
- Water Type Tropical; high salinity
- Primary Vegetation Seagrasses
- Location Inlet of the Indian Ocean, north of Perth, Western Australia
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