54:
142:
131:
261:
Middleton Reef is a kidney-shaped structure, 8.9 km by 6.3 km. On the north side is an entrance into the interior lagoon which is protected by the hard algal ridge and extensive reef flat that forms the outer margin to the reef. Its cay, known as The Sound, measures 100 m by 70 m. Its shallow lagoon
219:
Despite their high latitude both reefs display a rich and diverse marine flora and flora, brought about by their location in an area where tropical and temperate ocean currents meet. Some 314 fishes of 174 genera and 75 families have been recorded from the site, many more than at other Tasman Sea
215:
The two reefs of are of similar size and shape. They are largely awash, with only two small sand cays, one at each reef, being emergent at high tide. The reefs sit atop a feature known as the Lord Howe Rise — a ridge of volcanic origins that runs from New
Zealand northwest across the Tasman Sea.
227:
significance. They are protected by the
Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve, covering 1,880 km. The reserve was proclaimed in 1987 to protect the two reefs' important and fragile marine ecosystems, as well as with the aim of conserving the rare and endangered Black Cod
246:
Elizabeth Reef at 8.2 km by 5.5 km is slightly smaller than
Middleton. Its cay, Elizabeth Island, measures about 400 m in length and is up to 400 m in width. At low tides much of the reef flat is exposed by the receding waters.
782:
199:
Elizabeth Reef and
Middleton Reef are a pair of isolated oceanic platform reefs separated from one another by 45 km of deep oceanic waters. They are located in the Coral Sea, around 175 km north from
939:
418:
18:
459:
651:
949:
944:
714:
820:
452:
422:
370:
835:
507:
402:
386:
875:
719:
679:
656:
934:
445:
532:
484:
468:
830:
636:
598:
888:
512:
146:
135:
893:
767:
476:
689:
502:
332:"Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Commonwealth Marine Reserves) Proclamation 2012 - F2012L02188"
929:
752:
557:
772:
603:
522:
865:
787:
762:
704:
641:
810:
699:
180:
156:
223:
As well as their considerable natural values, a large number of shipwrecks gives the area considerable
845:
742:
580:
224:
850:
684:
608:
567:
815:
802:
575:
537:
288:
188:
168:
93:
734:
262:
has a sandy to silty bottom that contains numerous patch reefs and areas of coral pavement.
201:
757:
724:
628:
547:
517:
494:
205:
67:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
903:
777:
618:
256:
241:
212:. They are unique in that they represent the southernmost platform reefs in the world.
164:
160:
923:
908:
860:
646:
209:
883:
792:
747:
709:
694:
527:
855:
613:
552:
542:
184:
403:"Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Ramsar Wetland Ecological Character Description"
331:
590:
33:
20:
840:
825:
661:
437:
176:
172:
141:
130:
671:
187:, having been listed as Ramsar Site 1223, on 21 October 2002, under the
216:
Nearby Lord Howe Island is the only other emergent part of the ridge.
387:"Former Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve"
421:. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 4 January 2000. Archived from
283:
140:
129:
441:
284:"Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve"
47:
371:"Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve"
104:
Elizabeth and
Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve
153:
Elizabeth and
Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve
940:
Former protected areas of the
Australian government
874:
801:
733:
670:
627:
589:
566:
493:
475:
116:
108:
100:
91:
86:
652:Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland
167:reefs located at the south-eastern end of the
453:
183:in December 2012. The two reefs also form a
8:
460:
446:
438:
191:as a wetland of international importance.
147:NASA Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project
136:NASA Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project
783:Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula
275:
950:Protected areas disestablished in 2012
419:"The Annotated Ramsar List: Australia"
83:
685:Cape Barren Island east coast lagoons
353:
351:
349:
181:Lord Howe Commonwealth Marine Reserve
115:
107:
99:
90:
7:
317:
315:
313:
311:
309:
307:
179:. It was incorporated into the new
945:Protected areas established in 2002
334:. Commonwealth of Australia, Comlaw
14:
904:Hosnies Spring (Christmas Island)
52:
637:Banrock Station Wetland Complex
821:Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes
513:Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps
1:
899:Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs
894:The Dales (Christmas Island)
477:Australian Capital Territory
159:consisting of waters around
690:Interlaken Lakeside Reserve
966:
836:Lakes Argyle and Kununurra
753:Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands
254:
239:
145:Middleton Reef image from
134:Elizabeth Reef image from
935:Ramsar sites in Australia
725:Pittwater–Orielton Lagoon
533:Little Llangothlin Lagoon
469:Ramsar sites in Australia
291:Sites Information Service
124:
61:This article needs to be
204:and 555 km off the
523:Hunter Estuary Wetlands
405:. Environment Australia
389:. Environment Australia
373:. Environment Australia
788:Western District Lakes
715:Lower Ringarooma River
705:Little Waterhouse Lake
642:Bool and Hacks Lagoons
508:Central Murray Forests
357:Annotated Ramsar List.
321:Environment Australia.
149:
138:
34:29.95969°S 159.07654°E
866:Vasse-Wonnerup System
811:Becher Point Wetlands
225:marine archaeological
208:coast, due east from
157:marine protected area
144:
133:
876:External territories
851:Peel-Yalgorup System
846:Ord River Floodplain
768:Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes
581:Kakadu National Park
425:on 19 September 2011
230:Epinephelus daemelli
39:-29.95969; 159.07654
30: /
889:Coral Sea Reserves
841:Muir-Byenup System
831:Lake Warden System
609:Great Sandy Strait
568:Northern Territory
150:
139:
117:Reference no.
930:Coral Sea Islands
917:
916:
816:Eighty Mile Beach
803:Western Australia
657:Piccaninnie Ponds
599:Bowling Green Bay
576:Cobourg Peninsula
538:Macquarie Marshes
189:Ramsar Convention
175:territory in the
169:Coral Sea Islands
128:
127:
82:
81:
957:
793:Western Port Bay
604:Currawinya Lakes
462:
455:
448:
439:
434:
432:
430:
414:
412:
410:
398:
396:
394:
382:
380:
378:
358:
355:
344:
343:
341:
339:
328:
322:
319:
302:
301:
299:
297:
280:
202:Lord Howe Island
84:
77:
74:
68:
56:
55:
48:
45:
44:
42:
41:
40:
35:
31:
28:
27:
26:
23:
965:
964:
960:
959:
958:
956:
955:
954:
920:
919:
918:
913:
870:
797:
773:Kerang Wetlands
763:Gunbower Forest
758:Gippsland Lakes
729:
720:Moulting Lagoon
666:
629:South Australia
623:
585:
562:
548:Narran Wetlands
518:Gwydir Wetlands
495:New South Wales
489:
471:
466:
428:
426:
417:
408:
406:
401:
392:
390:
385:
376:
374:
369:
366:
361:
356:
347:
337:
335:
330:
329:
325:
320:
305:
295:
293:
282:
281:
277:
273:
268:
259:
253:
244:
238:
206:New South Wales
197:
112:21 October 2002
96:
78:
72:
69:
66:
57:
53:
38:
36:
32:
29:
24:
21:
19:
17:
16:
12:
11:
5:
963:
961:
953:
952:
947:
942:
937:
932:
922:
921:
915:
914:
912:
911:
906:
901:
896:
891:
886:
880:
878:
872:
871:
869:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
807:
805:
799:
798:
796:
795:
790:
785:
780:
778:Lake Albacutya
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
739:
737:
731:
730:
728:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
680:Apsley Marshes
676:
674:
668:
667:
665:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
633:
631:
625:
624:
622:
621:
619:Shoalwater Bay
616:
611:
606:
601:
595:
593:
587:
586:
584:
583:
578:
572:
570:
564:
563:
561:
560:
555:
553:Paroo Wetlands
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
499:
497:
491:
490:
488:
487:
481:
479:
473:
472:
467:
465:
464:
457:
450:
442:
436:
435:
415:
399:
383:
365:
362:
360:
359:
345:
323:
303:
274:
272:
269:
267:
264:
257:Middleton Reef
255:Main article:
252:
251:Middleton Reef
249:
242:Elizabeth Reef
240:Main article:
237:
236:Elizabeth Reef
234:
196:
193:
126:
125:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:Ramsar Wetland
92:
89:
88:
80:
79:
60:
58:
51:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
962:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
927:
925:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
881:
879:
877:
873:
867:
864:
862:
861:Toolibin Lake
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
808:
806:
804:
800:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
743:Barmah Forest
741:
740:
738:
736:
732:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
677:
675:
673:
669:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
647:Coongie Lakes
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
634:
632:
630:
626:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
596:
594:
592:
588:
582:
579:
577:
574:
573:
571:
569:
565:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
500:
498:
496:
492:
486:
483:
482:
480:
478:
474:
470:
463:
458:
456:
451:
449:
444:
443:
440:
424:
420:
416:
404:
400:
388:
384:
372:
368:
367:
363:
354:
352:
350:
346:
333:
327:
324:
318:
316:
314:
312:
310:
308:
304:
292:
290:
285:
279:
276:
270:
265:
263:
258:
250:
248:
243:
235:
233:
231:
226:
221:
217:
213:
211:
210:Coffs Harbour
207:
203:
194:
192:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
148:
143:
137:
132:
123:
119:
111:
103:
101:Official name
95:
85:
76:
64:
59:
50:
49:
46:
43:
909:Pulu Keeling
898:
884:Ashmore Reef
748:Corner Inlet
710:Logan Lagoon
695:Jocks Lagoon
528:Lake Pinaroo
485:Ginini Flats
427:. Retrieved
423:the original
407:. Retrieved
391:. Retrieved
375:. Retrieved
336:. Retrieved
326:
294:. Retrieved
287:
278:
260:
245:
229:
222:
218:
214:
198:
155:is a former
152:
151:
87:Designations
70:
62:
15:
856:Roebuck Bay
614:Moreton Bay
558:Towra Point
543:Myall Lakes
409:26 February
393:26 February
377:26 February
195:Description
185:Ramsar site
37: /
25:159°04′36″E
924:Categories
591:Queensland
266:References
173:Australian
109:Designated
22:29°57′35″S
826:Lake Gore
662:Riverland
503:Blue Lake
220:islands.
177:Coral Sea
165:Middleton
161:Elizabeth
73:July 2015
735:Victoria
672:Tasmania
429:10 April
338:19 March
296:25 April
700:Lavinia
364:Sources
63:updated
289:Ramsar
271:Notes
171:, an
431:2010
411:2017
395:2017
379:2017
340:2015
298:2018
163:and
120:1223
232:).
926::
348:^
306:^
286:.
461:e
454:t
447:v
433:.
413:.
397:.
381:.
342:.
300:.
228:(
75:)
71:(
65:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
