Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Designations
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| Official name: Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve | |
| Designated: | 21 October 2002 |
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| Reference #: | 1223 |
The Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve was a special protected ocean area. It was located around Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reefs, which are in the Coral Sea Islands. This area is an Australian territory in the Coral Sea.
In December 2012, this reserve became part of the new Lord Howe Commonwealth Marine Reserve. The two reefs are also very important wetlands. They were listed as a Ramsar site on October 21, 2002. This means they are recognized worldwide under the Ramsar Convention for their natural value.
Contents
About These Amazing Reefs
Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef are two separate coral reefs far out in the ocean. They are about 45 kilometers apart. You can find them in the Coral Sea, about 95 km north of Lord Howe Island. They are also about 555 km off the coast of New South Wales.
These reefs are special because they are the southernmost coral reefs in the world. This makes them very unique!
The two reefs are similar in size and shape. Most of the time, they are covered by water. Only two small sand islands, called cays, appear at high tide. These reefs sit on top of a volcanic ridge called the Lord Howe Rise. Lord Howe Island is the only other part of this ridge that is above water.
Marine Life and Shipwrecks
Even though these reefs are far south, they have lots of different marine plants and animals. This is because warm and cool ocean currents meet here. Scientists have found 314 types of fish from 75 different families in this area. That's more fish than in many other islands in the Tasman Sea!
Besides their amazing nature, these reefs also have many old shipwrecks. This makes the area important for marine archaeology. This is the study of old ships and things found underwater.
The Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve was created in 1987. It covered 1,880 square kilometers. The main goal was to protect these important and delicate ocean homes. It also aimed to save a rare and endangered fish called the Black Cod (Epinephelus daemelli).
Elizabeth Reef: A Closer Look
Elizabeth Reef is slightly smaller than Middleton Reef. It measures about 8.2 km long and 5.5 km wide. Its sand island, called Elizabeth Island, is about 400 meters long and 400 meters wide. When the tide is low, much of the reef's flat surface is exposed.
Middleton Reef: What Makes It Special?
Middleton Reef is shaped like a kidney. It is about 8.9 km long and 6.3 km wide. On its north side, there is an entrance that leads into a lagoon inside the reef. This lagoon is protected by a hard algal ridge and a wide reef flat. Its sand island is known as The Sound. It measures 100 meters by 70 meters. The shallow lagoon has a sandy or silty bottom. It also has many small coral patches and areas covered with coral pavement.
