Lancelin Island
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Lancelin Island is an island in
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
near Lancelin.


Description

The island occupies an area and is situated from the mainland. The island has a maximum elevation of . It is composed of
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
and is linked to Edwards Island by intertidal and subtidal
reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
platforms. Both islands are gazetted as A Class nature reserves. The island has a large beach on the landward side of the island and a smaller beach on the seaward side. The waters off the western side of the island are also a protected area, the Lancelin Island Lagoon Fish Habitat Protection Area, made up of areas of
seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...
and reef systems. Along with Edwards Island it is at the southern end of the Turquoise Coast islands nature reserve group, a chain of 40 islands spread over a distance of .


Origin and history

The island was formed approximately 10,000 years ago after large fluctuations in sea levels caused erosion on large areas of the
continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
during periods of glaciation. Large parallel sand dunes then formed and hardened into limestone, forming islands, most of which have been separated from the mainland for 6,500 years. The
Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the South West, Western Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton, Western Aus ...
peoples are the traditional inhabitants of the Lancelin area. The first European to find and name the island was the French explorer
Hamelin Hameln ( ; ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hameln-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. History Hameln ...
in 1801 aboard . It was named after the scientific writer, Lancelin. During the 1920s the area became popular as a holiday destination, with many shacks appearing on the mainland. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the island was used by the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
for bombing practice. The
crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...
ing industry commenced operations in the area in 1947.


Flora and fauna

The island has a high diversity of plants and supports over 50 plant species. The vegetation is mostly close to the ground and composed mostly of salt-tolerant grasses and shrubs. Sandier places are dominated by a low heath with shallower soils over limestone areas supporting herbfields and grasslands. The nitre bush covers the slopes and plateau of the island. Sea birds are known to inhabit the island with some species using the island as a breeding site. The Lancelin Island skink (''Ctenotus lancelini)'', a threatened species of lizard, is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to and named after the island.
Sea lions Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
are known to visit the island but do not use it as a breeding site. The Lancelin Island Lagoon Fish Habitat Protection Area has had over 200 species of flora and fauna that have been identified within the area.


See also

*
List of islands of Western Australia For lists of islands of Western Australia, please see: * List of islands of Western Australia, 0–9, A–C *Islands of Lake Argyle *List of islands of Western Australia, D–G * List of islands of Western Australia, H–L * List of islands of W ...


References

{{coord, 31, 00, 23, S, 115, 19, 00, E, display=title, region:AU_type:isle Nature reserves in Western Australia Islands of the Wheatbelt (Western Australia)