Coral Sea Islands

The Coral Sea Islands Territory is an external territory of Australia. It covers a huge area of 780,000 km² (301,160 sq mi) in the Coral Sea, north-east of Queensland. This territory includes many small islands and reefs, but the total land area is only about 7 km² (3 sq mi). Apart from a few Bureau of Meteorology workers at a weather station on Willis Island, no people live there permanently.

People first mapped these islands and reefs in the early 1800s. Some of them were briefly mined for guano between the 1870s and 1880s. A weather station was set up on Willis Island in 1921. In 1969, the Australian parliament made the Coral Sea Islands an external territory. In 1997, the rules were changed to include Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef.

Today, the area is part of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park and Coral Sea Marine Park. The islands are important places for turtles and seabirds to breed. The Coral Sea is also a route for humpback whales and some kinds of fish and eels to travel through. Many tourist ships visit the area for activities like snorkeling, diving, and fishing.

History

People first saw and recorded the islands and reefs in the Coral Sea Islands Territory in the early 1800s. Two important reefs, Middleton Reef and Elizabeth Reef, were found during this time. In the late 1800s, some people visited the islands to collect bird droppings for fertilizer, but no one lived there permanently.

A weather station was built on Willis Island in 1921. For many years, it was not clear which country owned these faraway islands. In 1969, Australia made these islands an official part of the country. Later, more areas were added to this territory, including special protections for some reefs.

Geography

The Coral Sea Islands Territory is a large area of about 780,000 square kilometres in the Coral Sea, near Queensland. It is close to the Great Barrier Reef and includes many small islands and reefs. The total land area of these islands is only about 7 square kilometres. Most of the islands are made of coral and sand and are very low, with the highest point just 9 metres above sea level on Cato Island.

The islands are split into two groups. The north-west group includes Willis Island and several other reefs. The south-east group includes Cato Island and more reefs. The territory also has Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs further south. The islands have a tropical climate and can sometimes be hit by tropical cyclones between November and April.

Governance and human activity

The Coral Sea Islands Territory follows the laws of the Australian Capital Territory and is cared for by the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island. The Governor-General of Australia can make rules to help manage the territory. A special helper chosen by the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government, and Territories looks after the territory. Ships from the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Border Force visit the area sometimes.

Most of the islands have no people living on them, except for a few workers from the Bureau of Meteorology on Willis Island. Other islands and reefs have things like weather stations and a lighthouse. There are also automatic weather stations on Bougainville Reef, Cato Island, Flinders Reef, Frederick Reef, Lihou Reef, Creal Reef, and others. People often visit these islands for fishing, swimming, and exploring underwater, usually on special boats that travel through the Great Barrier Reef.

Biodiversity

The Coral Sea Islands Territory is part of two Australian Marine Parks: the Lord Howe Island Marine Park and the Coral Sea Marine Park. These parks are important for many sea animals. The Coral Sea Marine Park is home to six kinds of sea turtles, and the islands and sandbanks help them lay eggs. The area is also a pathway for many animals, such as black marlins, loggerhead turtles, and freshwater eels. Humpback whales travel through the Coral Sea Islands between June and November each year. The territory also has dwarf minke whales and many types of toothed whales. Some of the reefs here have many sharks, including deep-water sharks. The southern part of the territory has lots of big fish such as sharks, tuna, and billfish.

The islands of the Coral Sea are important places for seabirds to live and raise their young. There are 36 kinds of seabirds on these islands and reefs. These include red-footed boobies, lesser frigatebirds, great frigatebirds, and red-tailed tropicbirds.