Elizabeth Reef is a coral reef in the Tasman Sea. The reef is separated by a deep oceanic pass, some 45 km wide, from nearby Middleton Reef, both of which are part of the underwater plateau known as the Lord Howe Rise. Elizabeth Reef is around 160 km from Lord Howe Island and 555 km from the New South Wales coast of Australia. In 1997 the Environment, Sport and Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 1996 included Elizabeth Reef in Australia's Coral Sea Islands Territory.
Elizabeth Reef is a platform reef and amongst one of the southernmost platform reefs in the world. It measures 8.2 km by 5.5 km. However, despite the relatively high latitude, a wide variety of flora and fauna exists on the island and surrounding waters due to their location where tropical and temperate ocean currents converge.
The reef is usually submerged. However, during low tide most of the reef flat is exposed. At high tide only one cay is visible one metre above sea level. The cay is known as Elizabeth Island and has a diameter of about 400 m. Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs form the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve managed by the Government of Australia under the Natural Heritage Trust.[1]
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Surveys by the Australian Institute of Marine Science have highlighted healthy number of Black Cod Epinephelus daemelii which is now a threatened species[2] in New South Welsh waters.[3] The survey in 2003 highlighted some 111 species of coral and at the same time identified 181 species of fish. The total number of recorded fish species on the reef is 311 across several surveys. High numbers of Galapagos sharks Carcharhinus galapagensis were observed at Elizabeth Reef and based on size may indicate that the reef is a nursery for this species. Sea cucumber (Black teatfish), Holothuria whitmaei[4] were also found to be in high numbers at Elizabeth reef. While the 2003 survey found only minor number of the Crown-of-thorns starfish, a survey in 2005 has indicated that the starfish is now active on the reef.[5]
Both Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef have been the site of numerous shipwrecks. According to the National Shipwrecks Database the ships stranded at Elizabeth Reef include: Britannia, Colonist, Douglas, Elizabeth, Naiad, Packet, Ramsay, Rosetta Joseph, Tyrian
Some confusion exists for the location of Britannia as the National Shipwrecks Database has a listing for both Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs.
Elizabeth Reef has not retired from claiming unwary sailors with its most recent victim reported in August 2007. The British sailor, Steve Landles, was winched to an Australian Navy Sea Hawk Helicopter from is stranded yacht Lamachan on 2 August 2007; however, the yacht could not be recovered.[6]