The Australian marine park will protect green turtle nesting sites. Photograph: Getty Images

Reuters

Australia has announced plans for the world’s biggest marine park, intended to protect vast areas of the Coral Sea off the north-east coast and the site of naval battles during the second world war.  The environment minister, Tony Burke, said the park would cover an area almost the size of France and Germany combined and would help to protect fish, coral reefs and nesting sites for seabirds and the green turtle.

“The environmental significance of the Coral Sea lies in its diverse array of coral reefs, sandy cays, deep sea plains and canyons,” Burke said. “It contains more than 20 outstanding examples of isolated tropical reefs, sandy cays and islands.”

The park would also cover ships sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea, a series of naval engagements between Japanese, US and Australian forces in 1942, considered the world’s first aircraft carrier battles. Three US ships were known to have sunk in the north-eastern area of the Coral Sea – the USS Lexington, the USS Sims and the USS Neosho, Burke said.

The government will finalise the limits that will be imposed on the Coral Sea marine park, which will be within Australia’s economic zone, in 90 days.  The world’s current largest reserve was established by Britain last year around the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which includes coral atoll The Great Chagos Bank.