Southern Cocos Keeling is located in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a remote Australian territory in the Eastern Indian Ocean. This area is delineated around several small islands in the southern section of the southern atoll, including Pulu Kambing, Pulu Maraya, Pulu Belan, Pulu Belan Madar, Pulu Kelapa Satu, South Island, and West Island (the only inhabited island). It lies approximately 2,800 km northwest of Perth, Australia, and 1,200 km southwest of Jakarta, Indonesia. The habitat is predominantly intertidal, consisting of a shallow lagoon with sandy substrates, seagrass beds on inshore reef flats, and mangrove areas in protected embayments within the lagoon (Evans et al. 2016). The surrounding waters of the atoll reach depths of 5,000–6,000 m, creating an isolation barrier (Parks Australia 2025). The Cocos (Keeling) Islands represent the westernmost extension of the Western Pacific marine biogeographic region and have been reported to host marine species typically affiliated with both the Indian and Pacific oceans (Hobbs & Allen 2014).

Swell predominantly comes from the southeast, associated with the trade winds. There is usually a westward-flowing equatorial current; however, in November–December, when the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves south of the equator, an eastward-flowing equatorial counter current may develop. Tides are mixed, mainly semidiurnal, with large inequalities in range and timing between consecutive tides. The maximum tidal range is 1.2 m (Woodroffe & Falkland 2004).

The area overlaps with Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park (Parks Australia 2025).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthic and pelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 4 m based on the bathymetry of the area.