Coral Sea Reserves Ramsar Site

Since then many further surveys have been conducted, including a multi-disciplinary scientific expedition by the Royal Geographic Society of Queensland which visited the Herald Cays and their surrounding reef in 1997.

[2] The key conservation values of the site, as listed in the reserves’ management plan are the:[2] Several of the site’s 24 islets provide undisturbed sandy beach habitat for nesting green turtles, as well as forest and shrubland supporting breeding populations of terns and other seabirds.

Its coral reefs support a distinct community of marine benthic plants and animals, a diverse decapod crustacean and hydroid fauna, and feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds and seabirds.

[3] There are no known native terrestrial mammals within the Reserves; introduced black rats were present on South West Coringa Islet for many years, but were eliminated by 1991 after an eradication program.

There is no resident human population; the site is used principally for nature conservation and scientific research.