Southwest Shelf Province

The Southwest Shelf Province includes the coastal waters and continental shelf of south west Western Australia, extending from the vicinity of Perth on the west coast to Israelite Bay on the south coast.

The continental shelf is generally narrow, with some small offshore islets, including the Recherche Archipelago.

Rocky headlands of granitic, doleritic, or gneissic rock are found along much of the coast, interspersed with curving bays and sandy beaches.

The Southwest Shelf Transition, or Houtman marine bioregion, lies to the north.

[3] The Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) identifies two meso-scale bioregions that make up the province.