MY TRAVEL INFO: THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, an immense living structure off the coast of Queensland, Australia, that is visible from space. It is renowned for its extraordinary natural beauty, vast biodiversity, and significant cultural importance to Indigenous Australians.

Key Facts:

• Size and Scope: The reef system stretches for over 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles) and covers an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 square miles). It is comprised of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands.
• Location: situated in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, extending from the tip of the Cape York Peninsula down to Bundaberg. 
• Biodiversity: The ecosystem is a haven for an astonishing array of life, including over 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, 4,000 species of molluscs, and six of the world's seven species of marine turtles.
• Economic Value: The reef is an economic powerhouse, contributing billions of dollars annually to the Australian economy and supporting thousands of jobs, primarily in the tourism and fishing industries.
• World Heritage Status: It was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 in recognition of its universal value.
• The first European to sight the Great Barrier Reef was James Cook in 1770.
• It was Matther Flinders who named the Great Barrier Reef , after his more detailed mapping of it is 1802. 

Environmental Threats and Conservation

The Great Barrier Reef faces significant threats, with climate change being the greatest. Rising ocean temperatures cause mass coral bleaching events, which have become more frequent and severe in recent years. Other pressures include: 

• Pollution and water quality decline: Runoff from agricultural areas contributes a high level of pollutants and sediments to the water, which harms coral health.
• Crown-of-thorns starfish: Outbreaks of this coral-eating starfish can devastate large sections of the reef, with their populations often exacerbated by poor water quality and overfishing of their natural predators.
• Coastal development and fishing impacts: Development along the coast and certain fishing practices also pose a risk to the ecosystem.

Extensive management and conservation efforts are underway, including the Australian and Queensland governments' "Reef 2050 Plan" and various scientific research and restoration programs to improve water quality and boost coral resilience.

15/12/2025: 8.28 p.m