Coringa-Herald Reefs (23977)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Coringa-Herald Reefs

Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.8475, Longitude: 149.9467

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 5

Area of KBA (km²): 8.97956

Protected area coverage (%): 100.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Coringa-Herald Reefs IBA is in the Coral Sea, about 400 km east of Cairns. The IBA comprises of North East Cay and South West Cay in the Herald Cays and South East Cay in the Magdelaine Cays. All three cays are part of Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve. This reserve comprises 8856 km2 of sea and reefs with three sand cays and another three islets, ranging from 16-37 ha and covering a total area of 124 ha. The islets are made up of coral sand, rocks and coral rubble. North East Herald Cay (NEH 16 56’ 40 S, 149 11’ 37 E) and parts of South East Magdelaine Cay have thick forests of Pisonia and Cordia. Forest also formerly occurred on South West Coringa Cay but was destroyed by scale insects. South West Coringa Cay supported only modest numbers of breeding seabirds when surveyed in 1999 (a few boobies, no frigatebirds and 1000 Black Noddy), and so has been excluded from the IBA. Grasses and low shrubs grow on other islets, including South West Herald Cay (SWH 17 00’ 00 S, 149 08’ 00 E), but North West Magdelaine Islet is devoid of vegetation. In 2007, 16-year and 5-year seabird monitoring datasets were available for North East Herald Cay and South West Herald Cay, respectively, but seabirds are poorly known elsewhere. Cyclones are regular; the last significant impact was Tropical Cyclone Aivu in 1989 which caused extensive damage to the forest on North East Herald Cay. Some seabirds declined after an extreme El Nino Southern Oscillation event in 1997. The IBA also excludes Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve (which lies 100 km south-east of Coringa-Herald) and other unprotected cays and reefs in the Coral Sea as these support only small numbers of nesting seabirds. However, islets in the Lihou Reef group and East Diamond Islet have supported nesting Fairy Terns and would be included in an IBA if further surveys indicate where this vulnerable species is nesting in significant numbers.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: Other regionally significant numbers of nesting seabirds in 2007 include: Great Frigatebird (932 nesting pairs on North East Herald Cay and 215 pairs on South West Herald Cay but numbers approximate, based on ratio of two frigatebird species); Masked Booby (10 pairs on North East Herald Cay and 35 pairs on South West Herald Cay but long-term average on North East Herald Cay = 30 pairs); Brown Booby (unknown numbers); Sooty Tern (unknown numbers); Crested Tern (unknown numbers) and Brown Noddy (unknown numbers). Two species of land bird breed within the IBA: Buff-banded Rail and Purple Swamphen. Non-bird biodiversity: Nesting Green Turtles.

Other site values: Australian Federal Government managed by the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Access is strictly regulated.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	33
Marine Intertidal	33
Shrubland	33

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Continue to monitor numbers and breeding success of seabird colonies. Monitor impacts of scale insects and hawkmoths and their biological controls. Raise awareness of likely impacts of sea-level rise and sea warming.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding		Only in the future

Additional information

References: Baker, G.B., Double. M., Gales, R. and Hallam, M. (2003) Seabird monitoring program - Coral Sea Island Territory. Report on 2003 field season and update of Herald Cays longitudinal datasets for the period 1992 to 2003. Unpublished report. Baker, G.B., Double. M., Gales, R. and Hallam, M. (2004) Seabird monitoring programe – Coral Sea island Territory. Report on 2003 field season and update of Herald Cays longitudinal datasets for the period 1992 to 2003. Canberra: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. Unpublished report. Baker, B., Holdsworth, M., Finley, L. and Double, M. (2008) Seabird monitoring study at Coringa Herald National Nature Reserve. Canberra: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. Unpublished report. Carter, M. and Mustoe, S. (2007) Another form of Fairy Tern Sterna nereis breeding in Australian Territory. Australian Field Ornithology 24: 167–179. Comben, L. (ed.) (2001) Herald Cays Scientific Studies Report. Geography Monograph Series 6. Royal Geographical Society of Queensland, Brisbane. Environment Australia (2001) Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve and Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve Management Plan. Environment Australia: Canberra. Greenslade, P. (2008) Climate variability, biological control and an insect pest outbreak on Australia’s Coral Sea islets: lessons for invertebrate conservation. J. Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-008-9157-2.