Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve
Coral Sea Marine Life
Overview
Summary
Interim management arrangements
The most recent management plan was prepared in 2001 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and assigns the reserves to an IUCN category 1a - strict nature reserve. This management plan expired on 4 September 2008 and interim management arrangements will apply until a new management plan is in place.
| Proclamation date | 16 August 1982 |
|---|---|
| Size (current) | 885,249 Ha (8852 Km2) |
| IUCN category | Ia |
| Biogeographic context | Northeast Province Bioregion |
| Management plan status | Expired 4 September 2008 Interim management arrangements |
The Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve lies in the Coral Sea, about 400 kilometres east of Cairns. It comprises of 8852 square kilometres with six sand cays (North-east and South-west Herald Cays, Coringa and Chilcott Islets and North-east and South-west Magdelaine Cays).
Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve is only 100km from Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve and together they lie in a remote oceanic environment on the Coral Sea Plateau, which is separated from the Great Barrier Reef by an area of deep water known as the Queensland Trough.
History
The Coral Sea islands were discovered by Europeans in the early 1800's.
The Coringa Islets were named after the Coringa Packet, a sailing ship wrecked there in 1845. Relics of guano mining during the 1860's still remain on Chilcott Islet in the Coringa group.
The Herald Cays were named after the HMS Herald, which carried out hydrographic surveys in the Coral Sea between 1849 and 1861. In the early 1960's, scientific parties visited the area and recommended total protection of a sample of the islets. This led to the declaration of two reserves - Coringa-Herald and Lihou Reef on 16 August 1982.
Special Features of Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve
The islands in the Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve include the only forested cays in the entire Coral Sea Islands Territory. During the breeding season, large concentrations of migratory seabirds congregate on small isolated islands. These are critical for the survival of seabirds which travel across vast ocean expanses to breed on the cays.
Seventeen of the twenty-seven species of birds recorded in the Reserve are listed under the Japan Australia Migratory Birds Agreement and the China Australia Migratory Birds Agreement. Under these Agreements, Australia has an obligation to protect the environments of the listed migratory and endangered bird species.
The Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve is also noted for its:
- significant island and reef ecosystems and shallow and deep water habitats
- rich and diverse marine flora and fauna, characteristic of a major reef province including potentially undescribed species
- critical breeding habitat for colonies of seabirds and endangered marine turtles
- spectacular and unusual underwater topography and reef structure.
See also
Also in this section
Existing Commonwealth reserves under the EPBC Act
Marine protected areas
Temperate East Marine Region
- Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve
- Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters)
- Lord Howe Island Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)
- Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Coral Sea
- Coral Sea Conservation Zone
- Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve
- Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve
North-west Marine Region
- Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
and
Cartier Island Marine Reserve - Mermaid Reef Marine National Nature Reserve
- Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters)