Arafura Sea
The Arafura Sea is a shallow sea between northern Australia and southern New Guinea, connecting the Timor Sea with the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Gulf of Carpentaria: A large gulf in northern Australia, opening northward into the Arafura Sea. The Arafura Sea's eastern passage opens into this gulf.
Indonesian Throughflow: The ocean-current system that carries Pacific water through the Indonesian seas toward the Indian Ocean. Its pathways connect the Arafura region to wider Indo-Pacific circulation.
Arafura Sea shrimp fishery: A commercial fishery targeting shrimp in the Arafura Sea, especially off Indonesia and northern Australia. Shrimp trawling is one of the region's major fishing activities.
Sahul: The Pleistocene landmass formed when lower sea levels joined Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. The exposed shelf once linked lands now separated by the Arafura Sea.
Coral Triangle: A tropical marine region in the western Pacific and eastern Indian oceans with exceptionally high coral diversity. The Arafura region adjoins the Coral Triangle's eastern Indonesian waters.
Timor Sea: A sea northwest of Australia, between Timor and the Australian mainland. This sea forms the Arafura Sea's western connection.
Australian monsoon: A seasonal wind and rainfall system that brings northern Australia a wet summer and dry winter. Seasonal winds alter weather and surface conditions over the sea.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: Fishing that violates regulations, is not reported, or occurs outside effective management controls. Monitoring this activity is a persistent challenge in the Arafura region.
Last Glacial Maximum: The coldest interval of the last ice age, about 26,000 to 19,000 years ago. Lower sea levels exposed much of the Arafura shelf during this interval.
Mangrove: A salt-tolerant tree or shrub growing in coastal intertidal environments. Mangroves fringe parts of the sea and support coastal habitats and fisheries.