The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, stretching over 1,400 miles off the coast of Queensland, Australia, and home to thousands of species of marine life.
Large enough to be seen from space, this reef system was built not by geology but by countless generations of tiny coral organisms working over thousands of years.
A Living Structure Visible from Space
Composed of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, the Great Barrier Reef is the only living structure on Earth large enough to be visible from space, built up over thousands of years by countless generations of tiny coral organisms.
An Ocean of Biodiversity
The reef supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life, including over 1,500 species of fish, hundreds of species of coral, sea turtles, and the endangered dugong, making it one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on the planet.
The Threat of Coral Bleaching
In recent decades, the reef has faced significant threats from rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change, which cause a phenomenon known as coral bleaching — a stress response in which corals expel the colorful algae living in their tissue, turning white and becoming vulnerable to disease and death if warm conditions persist.
Additional Pressures
Beyond warming waters, the reef also faces threats from agricultural runoff pollution and periodic outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which can devastate large sections of reef if populations grow unchecked.
A Protected but Vulnerable Treasure
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, the reef remains a major focus of international marine conservation efforts and a critical economic asset for Australia, generating billions of dollars annually through tourism.
