A map of the Coral Sea Islands.

While the Great Barrier Reef with its islands and cays belong to Queensland, most reefs and islets east of it are part of the Coral Sea Islands Territory. In addition, some islands west of and belonging to New Caledonia are also part of the Coral Sea Islands in a geographical sense, such as the Chesterfield Islands and Bellona Reefs.

The Coral Sea Basin was formed between 58 million - 48 million years ago because the Queensland continental shelf was uplifted, forming the Great Dividing Range, and continental blocks subsided at the same time.^[2]

The Coral Sea is ecologically an important source of coral for the Great Barrier Reef, both during its formation and after sea level lowering.^[3]

History

The sea was the location for a major confrontation during World War II.

See also

A satellite image of the Louisiade Archipelago and the northern Coral Sea.

• USS Coral Sea (aircraft carrier)
• Coral Sea Islands

References

• Community monitoring of reef sharks in the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef, Australia (2008) Australian Underwater Federation

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