Bio-geographic region in MEOW scheme
The Northwest Shelf Province, also known as Exmouth to Broome, is a biogeographic region of Australia's continental shelf.
Geography.
The Northwest Shelf Province includes the coastal waters and continental shelf of north-western Western Australia between North West Cape and Cape Leveque. It has an area of 238,759 km2, extending from the shore to 200 m depth. It varies in width from about 50 km at Exmouth Gulf to more than 250 km off Cape Leveque.
The Northwest Shelf Province adjoins the Central Western Shelf Transition or Ningaloo region on the southwest. The Northwest Shelf Transition lies east of Cape Leveque. To the north the continental slope descends towards the Indian Ocean's abyssal plain.
Oceanography.
The waters are tropical. Surface waters are derived from the Indonesian Throughflow, and circulate through the province via branches of the South Equatorial and Eastern Gyral currents. Tidal ranges are generally high.
The Northwest Coast, including the Pilbara Coast and Eighty Mile Beach, is the most cyclone-prone region of the entire Australian coastline. On average two cyclones cross the coast each year, one of which is severe.
Meso-scale bioregions.
The Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) identifies five distinct meso-scale bioregions that make up the province.
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;