Australia
319
The Coral Sea
MAPnf
Due
east of the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres
Strait, Australia holds jurisdiction of a large
number of reef formations lying some distance off
the continental shelf In the far north close to Papua New
Guinea these include the Portlock Reefs and Eastern
Fields. The majority of the remainder are located in an area
known as the Coral Sea Plateau. Most are atoll formations,
stretching from Osprey Reef in the north to Saumarez
Reef in the south. Some are substantial in area - Lihou
Reef is a long oval reef structure totalling nearly 2 500
square kilometers. In addition, a number of other reefs lie
further south or east, off the Coral Sea Plateau, including
Mellish, Frederick, Kenn, Wreck and Cato Reefs.
Information about these reefs remains relatively
scant, and they have only been visited by a small number
of expeditionary research units. In general they have
relatively low coral cover, with maximum estimates of
19-26 percent hard coral cover. In contrast, both coralline
algae and sponges make up a considerable proportion of
the substrate. Total algal cover is often greater than coral
cover. The molluscan fauna is very diverse, with over 730
species listed from the areas around North East Herald
Cay alone. Around this same island some 356 fish species
have been recorded. There are very important bird nesting
colonies on some of the coral cays, while the beaches are
widely utilized by nesting turtles.
A small number of dive operators take tourists out to
the reefs of the Coral Sea, renowned for the water clarity
and wide diversity of near pristine marine life. A number
of reefs in the central Coral Sea area are protected.
Although not under constant surveillance, they, and many
other reefs in the region, benefit from their remote location.
Left: The vast atoll structure of Lihou Reef in the Coral Sea lSTS0i6-90-9. 19921 Right, above: A trumpet emperor Lethrinus
minlatus with extensive branching corals. Right, below/: This coral recruit is only 15 millimeters in diameter and probably
only a few months old, yet over decades or centuries colonies may reach several meters across.
319
The Coral Sea
MAPnf
Due
east of the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres
Strait, Australia holds jurisdiction of a large
number of reef formations lying some distance off
the continental shelf In the far north close to Papua New
Guinea these include the Portlock Reefs and Eastern
Fields. The majority of the remainder are located in an area
known as the Coral Sea Plateau. Most are atoll formations,
stretching from Osprey Reef in the north to Saumarez
Reef in the south. Some are substantial in area - Lihou
Reef is a long oval reef structure totalling nearly 2 500
square kilometers. In addition, a number of other reefs lie
further south or east, off the Coral Sea Plateau, including
Mellish, Frederick, Kenn, Wreck and Cato Reefs.
Information about these reefs remains relatively
scant, and they have only been visited by a small number
of expeditionary research units. In general they have
relatively low coral cover, with maximum estimates of
19-26 percent hard coral cover. In contrast, both coralline
algae and sponges make up a considerable proportion of
the substrate. Total algal cover is often greater than coral
cover. The molluscan fauna is very diverse, with over 730
species listed from the areas around North East Herald
Cay alone. Around this same island some 356 fish species
have been recorded. There are very important bird nesting
colonies on some of the coral cays, while the beaches are
widely utilized by nesting turtles.
A small number of dive operators take tourists out to
the reefs of the Coral Sea, renowned for the water clarity
and wide diversity of near pristine marine life. A number
of reefs in the central Coral Sea area are protected.
Although not under constant surveillance, they, and many
other reefs in the region, benefit from their remote location.
Left: The vast atoll structure of Lihou Reef in the Coral Sea lSTS0i6-90-9. 19921 Right, above: A trumpet emperor Lethrinus
minlatus with extensive branching corals. Right, below/: This coral recruit is only 15 millimeters in diameter and probably
only a few months old, yet over decades or centuries colonies may reach several meters across.