Coral Sea - a large semi-open sea in the Pacific Ocean on the north-eastern coast of Australia and the south-eastern coasts of New Guinea (Gulf of Papua). From the west it borders the Indian Ocean through the Torres Strait. To the north it borders the Solomon Sea, and to the south to the Tasman Sea and the Fijian Sea. There is a Great Barrier Reef off the west of Australia. The border with the open ocean is marked by the islands: Santa Cruz, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), the Islands of Loyalty and New Caledonia. The main ports on the Coral Sea are: Cairns (Australia), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Noumea (New Caledonia).