Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The reef is located off the coast of Queensland in Australia.It stretches 1260 miles in length and can be seen from space.

Due to its vast biodiversity, warm waters and its accessibilty from live aboards, the GBR is a very popular destination for scuba divers. Many cities along the Queensland coast offer boattrips to the reef on a daily basis. Several continenal islands has been turned into resorts.

The GBR is sometimes referred to as the single largest living animal being in the world. In reality it is many colonies of corals.

Environmental threats

Tropical storms and Crown of thorns are the two biggest enemy of the reef.

In recent years, run-off from agriculture, especially sugarcane fields, has had a massive impact on the reef. Increased silting and coral bleaching has killed large areas of the reef.