The Lady Denman Marine Reserve is unique: a predominantly tidal enclosure within an estuary which provides a sustainable habitat for species from several habitat zones of Jervis Bay. In its relatively undeveloped state, the Marine Reserve supports large pelagic species such as

• tailor,
• snapper and
• kingfish;

mid-zone fish such as

• bream and
• mullet;

bottom-dwellers such as

• flathead,
• flounder and the rays; and

species from rocky habitats including

• gobies and blennies,
• octopus, and
• representatives from reef and rock pool communities.

The largest and most conspicuous species are naturally the most popular with visitors (some of the snapper, tailor and flathead weigh in excess of 6kg). Most of these larger inhabitants have been introduced on a trial-and-error basis over the last twelve years by fisherman and LDHC volunteer Barry Watts, who also planted seagrasses and added various molluscs and other invertebrates to encourage the development of a self-sustaining system. This was successful, and a wide variety of marine/estuarine flora and fauna has since taken up residence in and around the Reserve. It has become much more than a “fish pond”; its interconnected diversity now reflects something of the biodiversity of Jervis Bay and South Coast waters, which is a source of increasing fascination with visitors and locals alike.
The list below, particularly regarding smaller species and flora, is of course incomplete. It should also be noted that not all species listed may still be present in the Reserve, but all those included adapted well to the Reserve and thrived for long periods.