Everything about Elizabeth And Middleton Reefs totally explained
The
Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs are two
reefs located in the
Tasman Sea. The reefs are separated by a deep
oceanic pass measuring 45 km and are part of the underwater plateau known as the
Lord Howe Rise. They are 95 km from
Lord Howe Island and 555 km from
New South Wales coastline of
Australia. Since 1997, the reefs have been included in the
Coral Sea Islands Territory.
The two reefs are
platform reefs and are the southern most platform reefs in the world. However, the high latitude still allows a wide variety of
flora and
fauna to grow on the island and in the water. This is due to their location which is where tropical and temperate
ocean currents converge.
Middleton reef is slightly larger being 8.9 km by 6.3 km. The slightly smaller Elizabeth reef measures 8.2 km by 5.5 km. They are both similar shapes.
The reefs are usually submerged however during low tide the majority of the reef flat is exposed. In high tide, only one
cay on each reef is visible however are only visible for one metre above the sea level. The cay on Elizabeth reef is called Elizabeth Island and has diameter of approximately 400
metres. The smaller cay, which is located on Middleton reef, is called The Sound and is 100 m by 70 m.
The reefs form the
Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve
managed by the
Government of Australia under the
Natural Heritage Trust.
Flora and Fauna
Surveys by the
Australian Institute of Marine Science have highlighted healthy number of Black Cod
Epinephelus daemelii which is now a threatened species in
NSW waters. The survey in 2003 highlighted some 111 species of coral and at the same time identified 181 species of fish. The total number of recorded fish species on the reef is 311 across several surveys. High numbers of
Galapagos sharks
Carcharhinus galapagensis were observed at Elizabeth Reef and based on size may indicate that the reef is a nursery for this species.
Sea cucumber (Black teatfish),
Holothuria whitmaei were also found to be in high numbers at Elizabeth reef. While the 2003 survey found only minor number of the
Crown-of-thorns starfish, a survey in 2005 has indicated that the
starfish is now active on the reef.
Shipwrecks
Both reefs have been the site of numerous
shipwrecks. According to the
National Shipwrecks Database the ships stranded include:
Elizabeth Reef: Britannia,
Colonist,
Douglas,
Elizabeth,
Naiad,
Packet,
Ramsay,
Rosetta Joseph,
Tyrian
Middleton Reef: Agnes Napier,
Annasona,
Blue Jacket,
Britannia,
Defender,
Maelgwyn,
Mallsgate,
Mary Lawson,
Queen of the East,
Stuart Russel
Some confusion exists for the location of
Britannia as the
National Shipwrecks Database has a listing for each reef.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Elizabeth And Middleton Reefs'.
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