'Other reef' contributes to economy

Scientists have for the first time put a dollar value on Australia's little talked-about "other reef", the Great Southern Reef, finding it contributes more than $10 billion to the Australian economy each year.

The temperate-reef system covers 71,000sqkm of coastline straddling five states from Queensland past Albany to Perth, assisting in the generation of income for local economies in fishing and tourism.

The extent of the Great Southern Reef was revealed in new research carried out by a team of scientists across southern Australia and released in CSIRO's Marine & Freshwater Research journal last month.

Dr Thomas Wernberg, a marine biologist at the University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute, said while everyone had heard of the Great Barrier Reef, its southern equivalent was "unique, beautiful and a biological powerhouse".

He said the Great Southern Reef's globally recognised kelp forests contained unique and diverse marine life, with a global biodiversity hotspot for not only seaweeds but sponges, crustaceans, chordates, bryozoans, echinoderms and molluscs.

Depending on the group, between 30 and 80 per cent are not found anywhere else on earth.

"Due to its sheer scale and close proximity to almost 70 per cent of the Australian population, the reef forms an integral party of Australian culture and society," Dr Wernberg said.

"It plays an important role in our national economy, supporting a broad range of tourism, recreational and commercial activities."

But Albany Rods and Tackle owner Jim Allan questioned the rationality of the research results linking Albany, as there was little in the way of a fully structured reef off the coast.

"The coral is about six nautical miles out from Bald Head, but not what I would expect to be called a reef," he said.

"It starts out at about 60m.

"There is an exceptional amount of coral out there, but nothing like they have up north.

"It is low and patchy, but it holds the fish."

Dr Wernberg said despite about 70 per cent of Australians living, working and recreating on the coastline affected by the reef, few understand its significance.

"Although most Australians live and play around the southern reef, they have little awareness of its value and significance and too few resources are allocated to understanding it," he said.