Middleton Reef facts for kids
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Middleton Reef is an amazing coral reef located in the Coral Sea. It's like an underwater mountain range, part of a bigger area called the Lord Howe Rise. This reef is about 220 km from Lord Howe Island. It is also about 555 km away from the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Middleton Reef is separated from another reef, Elizabeth Reef, by a deep ocean channel. This channel is about 45 km wide. In 1997, Middleton Reef officially became part of Australia's Coral Sea Islands Territory.
This reef is special because it's one of the most southerly platform reefs in the world. Even though it's far south, it has many different kinds of plants and animals. This is because warm tropical ocean currents and cooler temperate currents meet here.
The reef is about 8.9 km long and 6.3 km wide. When the tide is low, most of the reef top is visible. But at high tide, only one small sandy island, called The Sound, can be seen. It's about 100 m long and 70 m wide, and just one metre above sea level.
Middleton Reef and Elizabeth Reef together form the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve. The Australian Government manages this special park to protect its unique environment.
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Amazing Ocean Life at Middleton Reef
Middleton Reef is home to a wide variety of ocean creatures. Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science have studied the reef. They found many healthy fish, including the black cod (also known as Epinephelus daemelii). This fish is a threatened species in the waters of New South Wales.
Corals and Fish
A survey in 2003 found 111 different types of coral on the reef. They also identified 181 species of fish. Across several surveys, a total of 311 fish species have been recorded! This shows how rich and diverse the reef's ecosystem is.
Sharks and Sea Cucumbers
Many Galapagos sharks were seen at Elizabeth Reef, which might mean it's a nursery area for them. Sea cucumbers, especially the black teatfish (Holothuria whitmaei), were also found in large numbers. While there were few crown-of-thorns starfish in 2003, more were seen in 2005. These starfish can harm coral reefs.
Shipwrecks and Their Stories
Middleton Reef, along with Elizabeth Reef, has been the site of many shipwrecks over the years. The strong currents and hidden reefs made sailing dangerous. The Australian National Shipwrecks Database lists several ships that were stranded here.
Famous Shipwrecks
Some of the ships wrecked at Middleton Reef include the Agnes Napier, Annasona, Blue Jacket, Britannia, Defender, Maelgwyn, Mallsgate, Mary Lawson, Queen of the East, Stuart Russel, the Runic, and Fuku Maru no 7. The ship Britannia is listed for both Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs.
The Sospan Fach Rescue
One interesting story is about the yacht Sospan Fach. It was wrecked on Middleton Reef in 1974. Its crew of four people were stranded for six weeks! They survived by living on the wreck of another ship, the Fuku Maru, until they were rescued.
