Criterion viii (formerly Criterion i)

Outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.

Shark Bay contains the world’s most diverse and abundant examples of stromatolitic microbialites in one place. These are analogous to structures that were the dominant benthic ecosystems on Earth for 3,000 million years.

The Wooramel Seagrass Bank is of great geological interest due to extensive deposits of limestone sands formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate. The hypersaline environments of Hamelin Pool and L’haridon Bight environment are created by seagrass banks.