Flinders Reef is a small isolated reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

 near Moreton Island

Moreton Island

Moreton Island is a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island lies 58 kilometres northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The island is 95% National Park and a popular destination for four wheel driving, camping,...

, 5 km north-west of Cape Moreton

Cape Moreton

Cape Moreton is a rocky headland located at the north eastern tip of Moreton Island in South East Queensland, Australia. The surrounding area is part of the Moreton Island National Park. 5 km north-west of Cape Moreton is Flinders Reef....

 in South East Queensland

South East Queensland

South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...

. It has the highest number of coral species of any sub tropical reef system along Australia's east coast and is the nearest true coral reef to Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

. Flinders Reef is one of Queensland's most popular dive sites. The reef is protected within the Moreton Bay Marine Park

Moreton Bay Marine Park

The Moreton Bay Marine Park was established in 1992 to protect ecologically significant habitats in Moreton Bay. The World Heritage listed park extends from Caloundra south to the Gold Coast Seaway. The park's border extends up to the highest tidal mark and covers a total of 3400 km2.The park...

 and is monitored by the Reef Check

Reef Check

Reef Check is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of two reef ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and Californian rocky reefs. The Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States, but uses data from volunteer scuba diver teams in over 80...

 conservation

Conservation movement

The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....

 program.

There is a second Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea

Coral Sea

The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...

 located at 120 nautical miles north-east of Townsville

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...

. There is a weather station located there that is monitored by the Australian Government. A third Flinders Reef exists offshore from the town of 1770

1770, Queensland

1770 is a village in Queensland, Australia, built on the site of the second landing by James Cook and the crew of HM Bark Endeavour in May 1770 . Originally known as Round Hill — after the creek it sits on — the name was changed in 1970 to commemorate the bicentennial of Cook's visit...

.

Fauna

The reef has more than 175 fish species. There are more species and varieties of corals in this one area than any other single reef on the Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...

. The diverse amount of marine life include schools of Wrasse, Sweetlip, Trevally, Parrot, Bat, Surgeon, turtles and tropical fish. Manta Rays, Wobbegongs and Leopard Sharks are among the larger creatures that reside here. Sightings of Whaler sharks are sometimes seen on the eastern side of Flinders. During the months of June to September, Humpback Whales can be seen on the surface as they pass by.

History

In 1986 the Australian Army ship Crusader (AV2767)

Australian Army ship Crusader (AV2767)

Crusader was an Australian Army amphibious operations support ship of World War II. She was launched shortly before the war ended and entered service in late 1945. The Army did not need a ship with her capabilities after the war and she was sold in 1947 to the Queensland Cement and Lime Company...

 was sunk near the reef and has become a popular dive wreck. The reef was zoned as a marine park

Marine park

A marine park is a park consisting of an area of sea sometimes protected for recreational use, but more often set aside to preserve a specific habitat and ensure the ecosystem is sustained for the organisms that exist there...

 in 1998. The reef was not affected by the 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill

2009 southeast Queensland oil spill

The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred on 11 March 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia, in which 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish after...

.

The reef is often the location for small fishing boat wrecks and diving incidents including the death of a Brisbane man in March 2005. It was the site of a helicopter rescue after a dive ship ran aground on the reef in December 2008.