| Cockburn Sound | |
|---|---|
| Derbal Nara (Nyungar) | |
 Aerial photograph | |
| Coordinates | 32°12′10″S115°44′44″E / 32.202781°S 115.745685°E /-32.202781; 115.745685 |
| Type | Sound |
| Etymology | George Cockburn |
| Ocean/sea sources | Indian Ocean |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 24.5 km (15.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 100 km2 (39 sq mi) |
| Settlements | Perth |
 | |
Cockburn Sound (Nyungar:Derbal Nara)[1] is an inlet of theIndian Ocean on the coast ofWestern Australia. It extends from the south of the mouth of theSwan River atFremantle for about 25 kilometres (16 mi) toPoint Peron nearRockingham. The total area of the sound is about 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi).
It is bounded on the east by the mainland council areas ofFremantle,Cockburn,Kwinana andRockingham, on the west byGarden Island andCarnac Island, and includes several rocky outcrops and reefs.Gage Roads lies to the north.
The sound was named in 1827 by CaptainJames Stirling, probably after AdmiralSir George Cockburn.[2]
ThePerth Seawater Desalination Plant can be found here.
Several media reports have been made on pollution of the water in Cockburn Sound, where in late 2015 an estimated 2,100 fish died[3] as a result ofalgal blooms through poor local water quality.
Reports from 2010 suggest the monitoring of pollutants was not adequate, using degradation of sea-grass since 2005 as a key indicator.[4]
Media coverage in December 2016 indicates the leaking of firefighting chemicals from thelocal defence base atGarden Island could be a factor,[5] however the report was only made available in September 2016. Prior official reports indicate the water quality was improving. However, there is doubt towards the scope of the report, as it does not include factors such as thermal stress from increased water temperature and oxygen stress as a result of climate change[citation needed] and localised desalination.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |