Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place
Michaelmas and Upolu Cays is a national park in Queensland, Australia, Template:Convert north-northwest of Brisbane and Template:Convert east of Cairns. It comprises two small cays on Michaelmas Reef, which forms the north-eastern section of the Arlington reef complex, within the Great Barrier Reef.
Flora and fauna
[edit]Plants
[edit]The vegetation on Michaelmas Cay is characteristic of cays found on the outer barrier reef. Low-growing, it consists of beach spinifex, stalky grass, goatsfoot, bulls-head vine, sea purslane and tar vine. Nutrients fertilising the vegetation come from seabird droppings and carcasses. The smaller Upolu Cay is un-vegetated.<ref name=np>Template:Cite web</ref>
Animals
[edit]Michaelmas Cay is important as a breeding site for several species of terns. It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world populations of greater and lesser crested terns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sooty terns and common noddies also breed there. Other terns that have nested on the cay in the past include roseate and black-naped terns.<ref>BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Michaelmas Cay. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org Template:Webarchive on 15 August 2011.</ref>
Green turtles sometimes nest on the cays. The surrounding reefs have a rich marine fauna, including giant clams.<ref name=np/>
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Template:Far North Queensland Template:National Parks of Queensland