Bowling Green Bay Ramsar internationally important wetland

Overview

 

 

 

 

Bowling Green Bay was listed as a Ramsar site on 22 October 1993, and is located on Queensland’s coast just south of Townsville. Covering more than 36,000 ha, the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar site includes a diverse number of wetland types comprising palustrine, riverine, estuarine and marine wetlands. Complex patterns of saltmarsh and saltwater couch grasslands back onto thin fringes of low Rhizophora mangrove communities in the intertidal zone. The site contains rich coastal habitats that are representative of Australia's north-east, coastal wet-dry tropics, including one of the largest mangrove and saltmarsh habitats along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Coast.

The site is home to rich and varied bird life – including many migratory shorebirds, and supports an abundance of species including turtles and other waterbirds, and contains valuable fish habitat. It is culturally and spiritually significant for the Bindal People and the Wulgurukaba People and is also important for scientific research and recreational activities.

The Bowling Green Bay Ramar Information Sheet (RIS) describes the boundary of the site and outlines the justification for listing. The RIS also describes the ecological character, threats, conservation measures and use of the site.

The lowland section of the site falls within the Bowling Green Bay National Park while other areas fall within the Bowling Green Bay Conservation Park boundary. Relevant protected area management plans can be found here.

Protecting and managing the Ramsar site requires a collaborative effort. The State works with both Federal and local governments along with natural resource management groups, First Nations people, landholders, industry and the community to care for the site and the values it supports. This often involves conducting management activities in the surrounding areas that impact upon the Ramsar site and its values.

Additional resources can be found at the following links:

• Bowling Green Bay—a wetland of international importance
• Wongaloo Wetlands Open Day
• Poster of Queensland's 5 Ramsar sites
• Nationally and internationally important wetlands page
• East Asian-Australasian Flyway for Bowling Green Bay

Wetlands International provides a Ramsar Sites: Directory and Overview for preparing reports on specific aspects of the site.

Catchment stories

Wetland observations

Show comparison charts

Wetland extents

Based on wetland mapping version 7.0

For definitions of artificial, highly modified, modified, slightly modified and natural wetlands, see the Queensland Wetland Mapping Method - A Method to Provide Baseline Mapping of Wetland Extent and Changes in Wetland Extent in Queensland.

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

Wetland extent changes

* Total 2021/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC)

Wildlife