Michaelmas Cay (23969)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2022
National site name: Michaelmas Cay
Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.6052, Longitude: 145.9793
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 2.99687
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Michaelmas Cay is about 40 km east of Cairns in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It is a coral sand cay, with a land area of approximately 4.8 ha, although it is subject to erosion and accretion. The cay is vegetated with low mats of grasses and herbs, which vary in extent between seasons. It is part of Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park and is zoned as a Marine National Park, within the Great Barrier Reef National Park, limiting use to nature-based tourism and diving.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: Michaelmas Cay KBA hosts globally significant (>1%) nesting aggregations of Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis and Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii, triggering a KBA under criterion D1a.
Additional biodiversity: Michaelmas Cay is a regionally significant breeding site for three additional seabird species: Brown Noddy Anous stolidus and Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscata. Sixteen species of seabirds are regularly recorded on, or in the vicinity of, Michaelmas Cay including Little Tern Sternula albifrons, Red-footed Booby Sula sula, Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel, Great Frigatebird Fregata minor, Brown Booby Sula leucogaster and Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana. The latter two species regularly nest on Michaelmas. Source: Department of Environment and Science (2009). Nature, culture and history | Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park. Parks and forests | Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. Available at: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/michaelmas-upolu-cays/about/culture [accessed 28 June 2021]
Manageability of the site: This KBA is a single cay which is managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority under their joint 'Field Management Program'.
Other site values: Yirrganydji are the Traditional Owners of this KBA and have a Traditional use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) over this area.
Habitats
Land use: The KBA is currently managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in collaboration with Yirrganydji Traditional Owners and other parties for primarily conservation of the natural and cultural values of this World Heritage Area. Permitted uses include: nature-based, ecologically sustainable recreation / tourism, scientific research and cultural heritage / traditional use. The following Great Barrier Reef Marine Park use Zones cover this KBA: Marine National Park (IUCN II). For further details on site management see: Department of Environment and Science (2009). Nature, culture and history | Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park. Parks and forests | Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. Available at: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/michaelmas-upolu-cays/about/culture [accessed 28 June 2021]
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 85 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 15 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Oil spills | In the past but now suspended and likely to return |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing | |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic species/diseases of unknown origin | Only in the future | |
| Pollution | Garbage & solid waste | Ongoing | |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Only in the future |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Oil spills | Only in the future |