Indispensable Reefs

{{short description|Three atolls in Rennell and Bellona Province, Solomon Islands}}

The Indispensable Reefs are a chain of three large coral atolls in the Coral Sea. They are located about {{convert|50|km|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} south of Rennell Island. The chain stretches over a length of {{convert|114|km|abbr=on}} and its average width is {{convert|18|km|abbr=on}}.

Administratively the Indispensable Reef belongs to the Rennell and Bellona Province of Solomon Islands. They are locally called "Goto'akau".{{cn|date=August 2020}}

The three atolls are steep-to and each encloses a large deep lagoon. They are separated by deep passages {{convert|2|to(-)|3|km|abbr=on|spell=in}} wide. The atolls of the Indispensable Reef are aligned in a NW-SE direction:{{cite web |title= Sector 7. The Solomon Islands—East Part |pages= 183–201 |work=Publication 126 |publisher= nss.nima.mil |date= n.d. |access-date= 6 June 2014 |url= http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub126/126sec07.pdf }}

North Reef is {{convert|18|km|abbr=on}} long, and up to {{convert|7|km|abbr=on}} wide. The rim of the atoll has two narrow openings in the north and northwest. The reef has a total area of {{convert|100|km2|abbr=on}}, including lagoon and reef flat. There are no islets.
Middle Reef is {{convert|51|km|abbr=on}} long. Little Nottingham Islet is a small islet located near the centre of the reef. Besides its main lagoon, Middle Reef has a separate smaller northern lagoon. The total area is about {{convert|300|km2|abbr=on}}.
South Reef is {{convert|21|km|abbr=on}} long and up to {{convert|8|km|abbr=on}} wide. It encloses a lagoon {{convert|18|to|35|m}} deep. The total area exceeds {{convert|100|km2|abbr=on}}.

History

The ship Neptune struck Indispensable Reef on 3 August 1868, and was lost. The crew was rescued by the SS Boomerang.{{cn|date=August 2020}}

During the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 May 1942, two Japanese carrier attack planes B5N2 (EI-306 and probably EI-302) flying reconnaissance mission from the carrier Shokaku ditched on Indispensable Reef due to lack of fuel.LUNDSTROM, John B. The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway. Annapolis, Maryland : Naval Institute Press, 2005. {{ISBN|1-59114-471-X}}. page 205

File:80-G-7661.jpg

In 1983, the Solomon Islands Government apprehended a vessel from Taiwan that had been poaching the giant clam stocks around Indispensable Reef.{{cite book|last1 =Govan|first1 =H.|last2 = Nichols|first2 =P.V.|last3 =Tafea|first3 = H.|year =1988|chapter =Giant clam resource investigations in Solomon Islands|editor1= Copland, JW|editor2= Lucas, JS|title =Giant clams in Asia and the Pacific. ACIAR Monograph|issue =9|pages =54–57|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233858772|access-date=3 July 2024}} Corals and endangered fish species are also being plundered for the aquarium trade.{{cn|date=August 2020}}

References

External links

https://web.archive.org/web/20080120072247/http://solomonislands.com.sb/indispensablereefs.html
Corals: {{cite web|title=Solomon Islands |work=World Atlas of Coral Reefs |access-date=6 June 2014 |url=http://www.unep-wcmc.org/marine/coralatlas/Solomon_Islands.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030519010850/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/marine/coralatlas/Solomon_Islands.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 May 2003 |pages=330–333 |date=19 May 2003 }}
Sunken ships: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071228054133/http://web.aanet.com.au/bender/Ships%20named%20from%20M_P.htm]
Ecological concern: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060626092709/http://www.icriforum.org/secretariat/pdf/207-316.pdf]

Category:Uninhabited islands of the Solomon Islands

Category:Reefs of the Pacific Ocean

Category:Atolls of the Solomon Islands

Category:Landforms of the Coral Sea

Category:Coral reefs

Category:Rennell and Bellona Islands

Indispensable Reefs

History

See also

References

External links