Houtman Abrolhos
The Houtman Abrolhos is unusual in having a luxuriant and diverse living coral reef at such a high latitude. 194 species in 50 genera have been recorded there, all but two of which are tropical. This is a surprisingly high coral diversity, considering the high latitude of the reef, and the relatively low diversity of other biota. For a full list, see list of corals of the Houtman Abrolhos.
Houtman Abrolhos
In addition to pearl aquaculture, a pilot sea cage finfish farm was licensed in 2004, although the license had not been exercised. Interest has also been expressed in the culture of live rock and coral for the aquarium industry. The Department of Fisheries has identified a number of species as having potential for aquaculture in the Abrolhos, including the Shark Bay pearl oyster ("Pinctada albina"), the maxima clam ("Tridacna maxima"), rock oysters ("Saccostrea" sp.), the saucer scallop ("Amusium balloti"), the western rock lobster, and a number of species of finfish, most of which are filter feeders.