Expedition sheds light on Coral Sea islands' health and resilience 

A 12-day scientific expedition into the central Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP), 700km off the coast of Queensland, has delivered important insights into the health of 13 remote islands and their surrounding reefs.

Covering nearly 990,000 square kilometres of ocean, the CSMP includes 67 cays and islets and 34 enormous reef areas.

Led by Parks Australia, the voyage brought together marine scientists, biosecurity and bird experts, park managers, and botanists, with representatives from Parks Australia, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), James Cook University, and the New Caledonia Government.

During the trip, the team worked on various projects, including assessing island and reef health, surveying for avian influenza – commonly known as bird flu – and continuing to work on an ecological restoration project on South Islet in the Willis Islets group, about 450km north-east of Cairns.

While H5 bird flu, a serious strain of bird flu spreading overseas, has not been found in Australia, offshore islands play a critical role in early detection. As part of the voyage, a DAFF veterinarian conducted tests on the region’s bird populations.

Reef scientists from James Cook University carried out comprehensive reef health surveys, continuing monitoring of coral bleaching and fish populations, as well as deploying in-water temperature loggers to better understand the oceanographic patterns that influence reef resilience.

Also known as Willis Island, South Islet has a large seabird population, including wedge-tailed shearwaters, sooty terns, and common and black noddies. It is also the location of a BoM weather station, and the Bureau is partnering with Parks Australia to remove weeds that are inhibiting the birds’ nesting sites.

On the other islands visited, the team collected marine debris, conducted signage maintenance and visitor-use checks, and monitored the condition of vegetation and nesting sites for birds and turtles, and assessed cyclone damage.

The Coral Sea Marine Park borders a New Caledonian marine park, Parc Naturel de la Mer de Corail, and the two protected areas have many species and conservation challenges in common.

Having a member of the New Caledonian park management team join the expedition provided an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and experience, and to work together on mutual goals, including surveying for pest species such as invasive ants on the islands.

CSMP Manager Martin Russell said it was a productive voyage, with monitoring showing that the islands and reefs were mostly in excellent condition.

“However, these magnificent ecosystems remain vulnerable to pressures and threats, and ongoing monitoring is crucial to protecting them,” he said.