Bathurst Channel
{{Short description|Channel in south west Tasmania}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Bathurst Channel
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| pushpin_map = Australia Tasmania
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| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location on the south west coast of Tasmania
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| location = South Western Tasmania
| coords = {{coord|43|20|24|S|146|01|12|E|region:AU-TAS_type:waterbody|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| type = Channel
| etymology = 3rd Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
| part_of = Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Nature Reserve
| inflow = Bathurst Harbour
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| outflow = Port Davey
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| basin_countries = Australia
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| reference = {{Gazetteer of Australia |name=Bathurst Channel (TAS) |feature=TAS00233 |access-date=10 July 2015 }}
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The Bathurst Channel is a narrow offshore stretch of water that links Port Davey with Bathurst Harbour in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia.{{Citation | author1=Australian Hydrographic Service | title=Port Davey including Bathurst Channel, Australia - Tasmania | publication-date=2008 | publisher=Australian Hydrographic Service | edition=2nd | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35289810 | access-date=20 January 2013 }}{{Citation | author1=Australia. Royal Australian Navy. Hydrographic Service | title=Bathurst Channel (Sheet 1), Tasmania - west coast, Port Davey | publication-date=1980 | publisher=Hydrographic Service, R.A.N | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/189961482 | access-date=11 July 2015 }}{{Citation | author1=Australia. Royal Australian Navy. Hydrographic Service | title=Bathurst Channel (sheet 2), Tasmania-west coast, Port Davey from a survey by Lieut.-Comm.r Kenneth Mackenzie, R.N., assisted by Lieutenants T. Nixson, R.A.N., D.M. Branson, R.N., G.P. Dixon, R.N., H.M. Australian Surveying Ship "Geranium", 1922 | publication-date=1983 | publisher=Hydrographic Service, R.A.N | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/189964446 | access-date=11 July 2015 }} The Bathurst Channel is contained within the Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Nature Reserve,{{cite web |url=http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/area-restrictions/marine-reserves#PortDavey/BathurstHarbourMarineNatureReserve |title=Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Nature Reserve |access-date=10 July 2015 |work=Sea Fishing & Aquaculture: Area Restrictions: Marine Reserves |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmanian Government |date=3 September 2014 }} and the Southwest National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Features and location
The channel has been studied for estuarine and introduced marine species.{{Citation | author1=Hirst, AJ | author2=Barrett, NS | author3=Meyer, L | author4=Reid, C | title=NRM Final Report: A detailed benthic faunal and introduced marine species survey of Port Davey, Bathurst Channel and Bathurst Harbour in SW Tasmania | publication-date=2007 | publisher=NRM South | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/3885332 | access-date=20 January 2013 }}{{Citation | author1=Barrett, N. S. | author2=Oh, E. | author3=Meyer, L. | author4=Jones, D. | author5=Edgar, G. J. | title=A biological monitoring survey of reef biota within Bathurst Channel, Southwest Tasmania | publication-date=2 November 2010 | publisher=University of Tasmania | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/173490523 | access-date=20 January 2013 }}{{Citation | author1=Barrett, Neville | author2=Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute | author3=Barrett, Neville | author4=Edgar, Graham | author5=Lawler, Miles | author6=Halley, Vanessa | title=A quantitative video baseline survey of reef biota and survey of marine habitats within Bathurst Channel, SW Tasmania 2002 | journal=Technical Report Series | year=2007 | publication-date=2007 | publisher=Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute | isbn=978-1-86295-372-7 | issn=1441-8487 }}
The channel's water is stained red and provides a low light; this allows deeper-water creatures to live in the shallow water. The water is pitch black {{convert|6|m}} below the surface. The channel attracts researchers and divers because they can observe deep underwater life without travelling thousands of feet with expensive equipment.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
{{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Water|Environment}}}}
{{Commons Category|Bathurst Channel}}
- {{cite book |editor1=Gee, Helen |editor2=Fenton, Janet |date=1978 |title=The South West Book: A Tasmanian Wilderness |location=Hawthorn, Vic. |publisher=Australian Conservation Foundation |isbn=0-85802-054-8}} 1983 edition, published by NSW: William Collins Pty. Ltd., Sydney {{ISBN|0-00-217305-0}}
- {{cite book |author=Kelly, James (1791-1859) |title=First discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour |pages=160–181 |work=Royal Society of Tasmania: Papers and Proceedings, 1920 |date=24 December 1920 |type=Microfiche |location=Canberra |publisher=National Library of Australia, 2004 }}
- {{cite book |date=1981 |title=Bathurst Harbour – Old River catchment |location=Sandy Bay, Tas |publisher=Steering Committee, South West Tasmania Resources Survey |isbn=0-7246-1010-3 |type=Working paper |number=21 }}
- {{cite map |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6823 |title=Southwest National Park: Marine Zones: Vicinity of Port Davey |publisher=Tasmanian Government |date=12 May 2004 |scale=1:250,000 }}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=16509 |title=Port Davey Marine Reserve: Commercial Visitor Guidelines |work=Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts |publisher=Tasmanian Government }}
{{SouthWestTasmania |state=autocollapse}}