[1] The Lower South East Marine Park consists of two parts which extend from ‘median high water’ to the edge of coastal waters.

The first part extends from Cape Buffon in the north-west to just north of Cape Banks in the south-east adjoining coastline within the boundary of the Canunda National Park.

The second part which is largely within Discovery Bay extends from “Port MacDonnell Bay” (sic) in the west to the state border in the east.

This part “partially overlays” the southern boundary of the part of the Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park which extends to low water.

[2][5] The marine park is divided into zones to managing the marine environment to ensure varying degrees of “protection for habitats and biodiversity” and varying levels of “ecologically sustainable development and use” as follows:[3] As of 2016, zones within the marine park has been classified using the system of protected area categories developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with the “sanctuary zones” being IUCN Category II, the “habitat protection zones” being IUCN Category IV and the “general managed use zones” being IUCN Category VI.