Indispensable Reefs

Lore & Background

The Indispensable Reefs consist of three atolls aligned in a NW-SE direction: North Reef, Middle Reef, and South Reef. North Reef is 18 km long and up to 7 km wide, with two narrow openings in the north and northwest, and has no islets. Middle Reef is 51 km long and contains Little Nottingham Islet near its center, along with a separate smaller northern lagoon. South Reef is 21 km long and up to 8 km wide, enclosing a lagoon 18 to 35 meters deep.

Historically, the ship Neptune struck Indispensable Reef on 3 August 1868 and was lost, with the crew rescued by the SS Boomerang. During the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 May 1942, two Japanese carrier attack planes B5N2 (EI-306 and probably EI-302) from the carrier Shokaku ditched on the reef due to lack of fuel.

In 1983, the Solomon Islands Government apprehended a vessel from Taiwan that had been poaching giant clam stocks around the reef. Corals and endangered fish species are also being plundered for the aquarium trade.

Reader's Guide

The Indispensable Reefs are notable as a remote chain of three large atolls in the Coral Sea, administered by the Solomon Islands. Their steep-to atolls and deep lagoons make them distinctive geologically. The reefs have historical significance due to the 1868 shipwreck of the Neptune and the 1942 ditching of Japanese aircraft during the Battle of the Coral Sea. More recently, they have been a site of ecological concern, as evidenced by the 1983 apprehension of a Taiwanese vessel poaching giant clams, and ongoing plundering of corals and endangered fish for the aquarium trade. The reefs are locally known as Goto'akau and are part of the Rennell and Bellona Province. Their isolation and ecological vulnerability underscore their importance as a marine habitat facing threats from illegal harvesting.

Did You Know?

• The Indispensable Reefs are locally called 'Goto'akau'.
• The ship Neptune struck the reef on 3 August 1868 and was lost.
• Two Japanese B5N2 aircraft ditched on the reef on 7 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
• In 1983, a Taiwanese vessel was apprehended for poaching giant clams around the reef.