What is the Coral Sea?
The Coral Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean off Queensland's northeast coast. The Great Barrier Reef runs along its western edge, and it contains many reefs and small islands.
The sea stretches from Queensland toward Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Its warm, clear waters support coral reefs, sharks, turtles and huge fish such as marlin.
In May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought there between Allied and Japanese forces. It was the first naval battle in which aircraft carriers fought without the ships seeing each other, and it helped stop a Japanese advance toward Port Moresby.
A vast marine park
The Coral Sea Marine Park covers almost a million square kilometres, making it one of the largest protected marine areas in the world. The tiny Coral Sea Islands are an Australian external territory.
Each year, cyclones can form over the warm Coral Sea between November and April, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to coastal Queensland.
Did You Know?
Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea is famous among divers for its vertical walls and shark encounters.