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.
Composed of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, the Great Barrier Reef is the only living structure on Earth visible from space and supports an extraordinary diversity of marine species, including over 1,500 types of fish and hundreds of coral species.
The reef has faced significant threats in recent decades from rising ocean temperatures, which cause coral bleaching, as well as pollution and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, the reef remains a major focus of marine conservation efforts and one of Australia's most significant natural and economic assets through tourism.