Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve
Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve is a 8440 km ² large marine protected area in Australia in the Coral Sea. It is located in Queensland, off the east coast of Australia about 700 km from Cairns. Together with the 100 km distant Coringa - Herald National Nature Reserve, it forms the larger Coral Sea Reserves Ramsar Site covering an area of 17,290 km, which was established on 16 August 2002. It is a wetland of international importance according to the Ramsar Convention and one of the largest lagoons in the world.
History
The well-known today under the name of Lihou Reef and Cays Atoll was discovered by Lieutenant John Lihou the Royal Navy on 23 February 1823. Lihou, as a ship's master was on the brig HMS Zenobia, was on its way from Manila to South America. After a dangerous passage through the Great Barrier Reef, it left this through an opening in the Murray Islands. On another trip through the Coral Sea, the 1155 km straight line away from the Murray Islands Atoll Lihou Reef and Cays was sighted.
Geography
The Lihou Reef is the second largest atoll in the Coral Sea, according to the belonging to New Caledonia Chesterfield Islands (where the even larger submarine Lansdowne Bank is not included). It is formed U-shaped, with an opening in the southwest. The size of the lagoon measures 100 x 30 km, with an area of 2529 km ², making this one of the largest atoll in the world, although the total land area of all islands on the reef ( Cays ) is little more than a square kilometer. The lagoon is about 60 m deep. The marine reserve includes 18 cays, each 9 each in the Northern and Southern Rim Rim in size from 0.5 to 16.8 hectares.
The Cays with vegetation are marked in the table green.
Turtle Islet reaches a height of 6 m, and Observatory Cay 2 m above sea level. On Turtle Islet is an automated weather station.
In the northeast of Anne Cay is possible with the Herald passage of access into the lagoon.
Flora and Fauna
The flora and fauna of this sea area is different to the Great Barrier Reef, which lies to the west. There are next to fish, hermit crabs and stone, starfish, various algae, corals, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Even the protected green sea turtle, dolphins and whales come before.
Bird species such as red-footed boobies, red-tailed tropic bird Arielfregattvogel and can be found in this marine reserve.
Dolphin
Arielfregattvogel