Great Barrier Reef
2300 km long coral reef off Australia's northeast coast, UNESCO World Heritage Site / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. It is near the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is made up of nearly 2900 coral reefs and over 600 islands.[1] It is 327,800 km2 big and 2600 km long. It has been listed an important World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest structure made by living things. It can be seen from outer space.[2] The Reefs are threatened.[3] The biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef today is coral bleaching caused by high sea water temperatures as a result of global warming.[4] During 2016, the worst die-off ever recorded occurred, due to seas warming around the Great Barrier Reef. Two-thirds of a 700-km (435 miles) stretch of coral in nine months were killed.[5]
Quick Facts UNESCO World Heritage Site, Location ...
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Off the east coast of the Queensland mainland, Australia |
Criteria | Natural: vii, viii, ix, x |
Reference | 154 |
Inscription | 1981 (5th Session) |
Area | 34,870,000 ha |
Website | www |
Coordinates | 18°17′10″S 147°42′00″E |
Close