Pictures: World's Largest Marine Reserve Announced

Coral Sea Birds

Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt, National Geographic

Birds gather on a sandbar in the existing Great Barrier Reef National Park. New proposals from the Australian government for a neighboring marine reserve in the Coral Sea would protect numerous small sandy islets and cays that form important nesting sites for seabirds, including red-footed boobies, terns, and frigate birds.

Compared to the Great Barrier Reef, its more famous neighbor, the Coral Sea is home to smaller, more dispersed coral reefs, which nevertheless attract scuba divers from around the world.

(See your Australia pictures.)

Among the submerged spectacles are coral walls thousands of feet tall and swirling schools of open-ocean fish.

Being so far from land—between 30 and 680 miles (60 and 1,100 kilometers) from Queensland state's coast—the Coral Sea is little affected by land-based runoff. For visiting divers, that means underwater visibility in excess of 100 feet (35 meters).

Published November 29, 2011

Spawning Coral

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

Spectacular spawning events take place in the Coral Sea each October and November when reef-building corals release millions of eggs and sperm, creating underwater, upside-down snowstorms.

The Australian government's plans to protect the Coral Sea with the world's largest marine park would safeguard the area as a region of ecological stepping-stones between the Great Barrier Reef and the wider South Pacific.

Friday's announcement of the park plans began a 90-day consultation period, during which members of the public are urged to have their say. The Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve is intended as part of a proposed network of marine reserves and management plans for the entire Australian coast.

Published November 29, 2011

Research in the Coral Sea

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

Marine research and monitoring will be permitted throughout the newly proposed Coral Sea marine reserve, as will tourism (file picture, taken in the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia).

Due to its remote location, the Coral Sea is accessible to tourists only via liveaboard boats that spend between four and seven nights at sea. Itineraries are often combined with visits to more distant parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

(See iconic Australia pictures.)

In addition to protecting the biological riches of the area, the Australian government's park plan highlights the historic significance of shipwrecks from the Battle of the Coral Sea, which is said to have turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific (World War II time line).

Published November 29, 2011

Ocean Giant

Photograph by Dave Bryant, My Shot

The Coral Sea's healthy populations of large predatory fish, including barracuda (pictured), humphead wrasse, and reef sharks are major draws for scuba divers from around the world.

(See your shark pictures.)

National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala explained that the immense size of the proposed Coral Sea marine reserve is crucial for protecting regional species that migrate over large distances, such as big-eye tuna as well as mako and whale sharks.

The eastern half of the Coral Sea reserve is to be a "no take" area, where no fishing will be permitted but diving tourism will continue. The entire park would be off-limits for oil and gas exploration, and fishing gear that damages seabed habitats would be banned.

Published November 29, 2011

Crown of Thorns

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

A crown-of-thorns sea star, or starfish, devours a brain coral underwater along Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Conservationists from the Protect Our Coral Sea coalition said in a statement that the draft marine reserve plan was "a good start" but that more should be done.

And Imogen Zethoven of the Pew Environment Group said in a statement, "Protection levels need to be stronger—particularly in vulnerable areas—to ensure the Coral Sea's long-term protection."

Various zones across the remaining western region of the Coral Sea will permit certain fishing activities. The Australian government has commissioned a study to assess the likely impacts of the proposed reserve on the fishing industry.

Published November 29, 2011

Galaxy of Sea Turtles

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

Important nesting sites for sea turtles (such as those pictured in an aerial photo of the Coral Sea) are set to gain protection from the marine-reserve plans.

Scuba divers have the prospect of spotting iconic ocean species that visit the area, including hawksbill turtles—listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature—and minke and humpback whales.

"The Coral Sea is our marine Serengeti," David Roe of Project AWARE said in a statement. "Large and spectacular ocean wildlife such as tuna, marlin, and sharks are still found in healthy numbers, making it a special place on a global scale."

Published November 29, 2011

Divers' Paradise

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

Much of the Coral Sea remains uncharted by scuba divers, and some tour operators offer the chance to make "exploratory dives" into unknown areas (file picture, taken in the Coral Sea).

Plans for the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve include safeguarding two popular dive destinations. Osprey Reef and Shark Reef are about 215 miles (350 kilometers) northwest of Cairns, Queensland, the main departure point for liveaboard dive trips.

Dive tourism will continue in these areas, along with catch-and-release sport fishing.

Published November 29, 2011

Giant Clam Puts on a Show

Contrary to popular belief, giant clams don't trap unsuspecting divers but instead put on stunning displays for visitors with their mantles, pigmented by symbiotic algae that harness sunlight and make food.

Such sights should be protected without discrimination, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala said.

"Nobody argues about what masterpieces in the Louvre Museum should be kept in the museum," Sala said. "We know we want all of them preserved for all to enjoy."

Some conservationists are concerned that the proposed Coral Sea reserve does not do enough to preserve these "masterpieces."

Under the plan "many of the jewels in the crown of the Coral Sea remain unprotected—only 2 of about 25 [currently] unprotected reefs are given a high level of protection," Steve Ryan of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, said in a statement.

Published November 29, 2011

Shipping Lanes Stay Open

Photograph from Queensland Maritime Safety via AP

In April 2010 oil leaks from a 755-foot (230-meter) coal carrier, the Shen Neng, after it ran aground at Douglas Shoals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Commercial vessels will still be allowed to pass through the neighboring Coral Sea under the government's new plan.

Other activities, including commercial and recreational fishing, will be banned from the eastern half of Coral Sea and restricted elsewhere, in an effort to safeguard fish populations and protect vulnerable habitats.

Published November 29, 2011

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Photograph by Corey Rich, Aurora Photos

Published November 29, 2011