Jawbone Marine Sanctuary

Located at Williamstown, adjacent to the former Williamstown Rifle Range, the area covers 30 hectares and supports several habitats.

These habitats include rock basalt reef, seagrass beds, intertidal flats, saltmarsh and the largest occurrence of mangroves in Port Phillip Bay. The reef is unusually unmodified and holds a diverse algal community and associated fauna.

Patches of all marine habitats from northern Port Phillip Bay are packed into this small area. On the west of the promontory, there is saltmarsh and a stand of White Mangroves along the shore, facing offshore areas of fine clayey sand and patches of seagrass.