The Cooloola Coast is part of the Great Sandy Strait, which is an internationally important wetland. It is an area of tidal swamps and intertidal sand and mud flats. The vegetation includes beds of seagrass, mangrove forests and saltmarsh wetlands. The Great Sandy Strait supports 38 species of shorebirds including 18 migratory species. The area is also used by other threatened species such as turtles and dugongs. The Cooloola Coast is a perfect place for shorebirds. At low tide there are extensive sand banks where the birds can search for food and at high tide there are secluded places where they can roost and rest without disturbance.