The Great Australian Bight is a large In geography, a bight is a bend or curve in the coastline, sometimes resulting in a wide open bay. Prominent Bights Great Australian Bight Bight of Benin Bight of Bonny Categories: Geographical term stubs ... bight, or open bay, encompassing an area of the The Southern Ocean is the body of water encircling the continent of Antarctica. It is the worlds fourth-largest body of water, and the latest to be defined as an Ocean, having been accepted by a decision of the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000, though the term has long... Southern Ocean located off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is Tasmania, an Australian State. Australia is... Australia. By definition of the The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental international organization established in 1921. The IHO was the outgrowth of international conferences and congresses held as early as 1889. The IHO is composed of its member states (represented by their respective hydrographic offices) with administration through the International Hydrographic Bureau with... International Hydrographic Bureau, the Great Australian Bight extends eastward from West Cape Howe, Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4... Western Australia, to South West Cape, Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Area 90,758 km² (7th)  - Land 68,401 km²  - Water 22,357 km² (24.63%) Population (2003)  - Population 478,400 (6th)  - Density 6.92 /km... Tasmania. The more generally accepted boundaries are from Cape Pasley, Western Australia, to Cape Carnot, Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5.75%) Population (2004)  - Population 1,534,300 (5th)  - Density 1... South Australia - a distance of 1,160 km or 720 miles. Much of the Bight lies due south of the expansive The Nullarbor Plain is the vast area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country immediately north of the Great Australian Bight. The word Nullarbor is derived from the Latin for no trees. It is the worlds largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about... Nullarbor Plain, which straddles the two Australian states of Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5.75%) Population (2004)  - Population 1,534,300 (5th)  - Density 1... South Australia and Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4... Western Australia.

The Great Australian Bight was first encountered by European explorers in Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. The aurochs are hunted to extinction, the last being killed by poachers in Poland. England places the first European settlers on Barbados. Siege of La Rochelle begins Korea becomes a tributary state of China Births... 1627, when a Dutch navigator, Captain Thyssen, sailed along its western margins. The coast was later first accurately charted by the English explorer Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 - 19 July 1814) was one of the most accomplished navigators and chartmakers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated and named Australia, survived shipwreck and disaster only to be imprisoned as a spy... Matthew Flinders in 1802, during his To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship. More recently, the term has also been used to cover aerial round-the-world flights. First maritime circumnavigations The surviving crew of Ferdinand Magellan, 1519... circumnavigation of the Australian Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of land on the planet Earth. There is no single standard for what defines a continent, and therefore various cultures and sciences... continent. A later land-based survey was accomplished by Edward John Eyre (5 August 1815 - 30 November 1901). Born in Hornsea, Yorkshire, Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent. Lake Eyre and the Eyre Peninsula, both in South Australia, and the Eyre Highway (the main highway from South Australia to Western Australia) are named in his... Edward John Eyre.

The coast line of the Great Australian Bight is characterised by stunning cliff faces (up to 60 m high), surfing beaches and rock platforms, ideal for whale-watching. The waters of the Great Australian Bight, despite being relatively shallow, are not fertile. While most The continental shelf is an area of relatively shallow sea water that is found on the edge of each continent. The shelf typically ends at a very steep slope (called the shelf break). The sea bottom below the break is the continental slope which has a much steeper gradient than... continental shelves are rich in sea life and make popular Fishing from a Pier Fishing is both the recreation and sport of catching fish (for food or as a trophy), and the commercial fishing industry of catching or harvesting seafood (either fish or other aquatic life-forms, such as shellfish). Fishing is done in a river, canal, lake, sea or... fishing areas, the barren A dune in the Egyptian desert In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. As a consequence, deserts have a reputation for supporting very little life. Compared to wetter regions this may be true, although upon closer examination, deserts often harbor a wealth of... deserts north of the bight have very little rainfall, and what there is mostly flows inland, to dissipate underground or in If youre looking for a specific Salt lake, try the article Salt Lake (disambiguation). A salt lake is a lake which has a concentration of salts and other minerals significantly higher than most lakes. In many cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water. Salt... salt lakes. In consequence, the Great Australian Bight receives very little of the runoff that fertilises most continental shelves and is essentially a marine desert. It is probably best noted for the large number of Orders see text Sharks are a group (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton, a streamlined body plan with between 5 and 7 gill slits along the sides (most often) or side of the head (the first modified slit is behind the eye and called a spiracle), dermal... sharks that frequent its coastal waters, as well as the increasing numbers of southern right whales that migrate within the region.

The bight is very stormy during winter months.

Economically, the Bight has been exploited over many years as part of the fishing, whaling and shellfish industries. Bluefin tuna have been a favoured target of fishing in the Bight.

A number of settlements exist along the coastline of the Bight, such as Ceduna.

External links

• Great Australian Bight Marine Park (http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/gab/) - located in Commonwealth waters
• Great Australian Bight Marine Park - Eyre Peninsula (http://www.tep.com.au/nationalparks/np_bight.htm) - the South Australian portion of the park
• Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (http://www.afma.gov.au/fisheries/gab/default.php)
• Wild Down Under Great Australian Bight (http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/wilddownunder/virtual11.shtml) - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was formed in 1927 by means of a royal charter from the Crown. (For the history of the BBC before 1927, see British Broadcasting Company and for a complete list of articles see BBC (index).) Today the BBC is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of... BBC Nature Documentary webpage for the fauna of the region