Coral Sea
Description
This sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, lies between Queensland (Australia), New Guinea island, the major Solomon Islands, the major line of the islands of Vanuatu (and a few islands of Nouvelle Calédonie1 that continue this line) and an ill defined boundary south that includes the Lord Howe Rise and Seamounts. Small islands and reefs within it are split between Australia, Coral Sea Islands Territory, Papua-New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Nouvelle Calédonie. The larger islands of Nouvelle Calédonie are arguably within the sea, depending on how you draw its south border. The sea ranges from quite shallow to extreme depths. The Coral Sea Basin is surrounded by shallows. The sea's arm, the Solomon Sea, includes a trench dropping down more than 9,000 meters at Planet Deep. Southeast of there is the Solomon Basin, then shallows, except for a trench near one of the Solomons. The comes the Santa Cruz Basin, bounded east by another 9,000 plus meter deep trench. South of it, beyond some shallows, is the Hebrides Basin which continues as yet a third trench dropping below 9,000 meters. West of the Lord Howe Rise the waters drop down more than 6,000 meters not far from Australia.
Around the area
north and east
southeast
south
west from the southwest
west from the northwest
northwest
Footnotes
1. New Caledonia in English.