Bramble Cay

Bramble Cay is a small, low-lying coral cay in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia, notable for its ecological sensitivity and for being the location where a species - the Bramble Cay melomys - was declared extinct in 2016. The cay is vegetated and supports seabird colonies and turtle nesting.

The island provides habitat primarily for nesting seabirds and marine turtles rather than for permanent human occupation. Its very low elevation and small area make it highly vulnerable to storm surge and sea-level rise.

Scientific surveys in the 2010s focused attention on the cay because of the decline and eventual disappearance of the endemic rodent, leading to the 2016 extinction declaration. The cay is occasionally visited by researchers; there are no permanent facilities.

Geographically it lies at the northeastern end of the Torres Strait, between the northern tip of mainland Queensland and the southern shores of Papua New Guinea, and is administered by the state of Queensland.

• Conservation note: A small coral cay in the Torres Strait where the Bramble Cay melomys (a rodent) was declared extinct following surveys in 2014-2016, a case cited in discussions of climate change impacts on species.