Great Barrier Reef
Our World Heritage Site since 1981.
Short description...
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The world heritage list!
This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the earth. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.
The GBR from space!
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is known as the 'white line'. It is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.
Coral
The world's first coral reefs occurred about 500 million years ago, and the first close relatives developed in southern Europe about 230 million years ago. By comparison, the Great Barrier Reef is relatively young at just 500,000 years old. The current reef's structure is much younger at less than around 8,000 years old.
Whats the weather like in the Great Barrier Reef?
*displayed in the picture above*