Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve

The Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve is a 1877 km ² large marine protected area in the border area of Tasman and Coral Sea, about 600 km east of the Australian coast.

The two reefs are administratively since 1997 to the Australian territory of the Coral Sea Islands. The nature reserve is under the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Australian Federal Government.

The Elizabeth and Middletonriff counts with the reefs of Lord Howe Iceland to the southern reefs of the world, situated where tropical and cold water streams and spawned an unusual marine fauna.

Geography

After the widespread view that the 29 southern latitude at the same time represents a maritime border between the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales border between the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea, are the two reefs in the Tasman Sea; as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization ( IHO ) form, however, the boundary between the two seas.

History

The Middleton Reef was born on July 20, 1788 discovered by Lieutenant John Shortland on the ship Alexander, who arrived with the First Fleet to Australia and from a trip of Batavia, now Jakarta, sailed back. He named the reef after the British Admiral Sir Charles Theodore Middleton.

The first ship that ran aground on Elizabeth Reef and sank, was a 300-ton ship, the Britannia, which was located in 1806 on their way from California to Sydney. Between 1806 and 1972 there fell a further 32 vessels, of which it became known, 17 at Middleton Reef and Elizabeth Reef at 13; maybe it was even 90 ships.

Marine fauna

307 fish species have been discovered on the reefs so far, including the spotted grouper ( Epinephelus daemelli ) and the giant grouper; is expected to be about 450 species. Green turtles come to the reefs for food intake and rest, brooding was not found. Numerous protected seabirds were observed on the island in food intake.

In one study, 122 species of coral on the reefs could be found, a larger number than on the Lord Howe Iceland with 57 species.

74 echinoderms, including the crown of thorns starfish and over 120 crustacean species ( including crab, lobster -like and barnacles ) were counted, probably it will be 500.

266 species of shells, further squids, octopuses, cuttlefish and crustaceans were found, nine of the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park, the Lord Howe and Norfolk Iceland Iceland only occur in the area. Three mussel species that have been discovered have so far been unknown in science.