Coral Sea
Conservation values of the Coral Sea
What are conservation values?
The conservation values of a marine region include all marine species and places that are protected under national environmental law as well as a region's key ecological features. Conservation values are therefore those species, features and places of the marine environment that are important in the context of the government's environmental responsibilities.
- Key ecological features are parts of the marine ecosystem that are considered to be of importance for a region's biodiversity or ecosystem function and integrity. Key ecological features may be habitats or areas of a region, specific benthic or pelagic features, species groups or ecological communities. The description of key ecological features helps to define Commonwealth waters.
The Coral Sea region is characterised by significant variation in seafloor features and dynamic oceanography. The region encompasses a vast range of tropical and deepwater habitats across depth range to 5000 metres. It includes a biologically diverse array of reefs and cays, many of which are located on the Queensland and Marion Plateaux which stretch from the eastern border of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park out to deeper waters of the Coral Sea Basin. These plateaux are important for aggregations of marine life and the high levels of biodiversity they support. Reef Lagoons also provide important nursery sites for sharks and mid-sized predatory fish, while the island areas support critical nesting sites for the green turtle and a range of seabird species.
The southern part of the region also encompasses the remote seamounts of the Tasmantid seamount chain. These seamounts are a prominent chain of submarine volcanoes, plateaux and terraces that support significant aggregations of marine life.
There are three main currents that play a significant role in the biological patterns across the Coral Sea region; the South Equatorial Current, Hiri Current and the East Australian Current. Collectively the diverse habitats of the region support a rich and diverse array of marine species including important areas for unique and threatened species, including green turtles, humpback whales, sharks, billfish, whale sharks and seabirds.
There are two existing Commonwealth marine reserves in the Coral Sea region: Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve and Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve, both established in 1982.
A number of historic shipwrecks are recorded in the Coral Sea region and, while the locations of many shipwrecks remain unknown, two wrecked ships - the Cato and the HMS Porpoise - are considered particularly significant. The region was significant in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II. Three ships from this battle are known to have sunk in the north-eastern area of the Coral Sea - the USS Lexington (an aircraft carrier), the USS Sims (a destroyer), and the USS Neosho (an aviation fuel supplier).
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About marine bioregional planning
Marine bioregional planning is being implemented in five large marine regions.