The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed over 2,000 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over the whole area of the Great Barrier Reef which is approximately 334,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia.The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest structure made by living organisms. The reef structure is composed and built by billions of tiny organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsundays Islands and the Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating $1 billion dollars per year.
The Great Barrier Reef has over thirty species of whales and dolphins which has been recorded, including dwarf minke whale, humpback dolphins, humpback whales. There's a large population of dun-gongs that live amongest the reef. There is more than 1,500 fish species that live on the reef, including clown fish, red bass, red-throat emperor and several species if snapper and coral throat. Forty nine species of mass spawn, while there are eighty four other species of mass spawn. Seventeen different species of sea snakes that live on the Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to 50 metres deep and more common in the southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef Heritage Area are endemic, nor any endangered species. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed - the green sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, hawks bill turtle, loggerhead turtle, flathead turtle and the olive ridley. The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations, one in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef and the other in the southern part
The Great Barrier Reef has over thirty species of whales and dolphins which has been recorded, including dwarf minke whale, humpback dolphins, humpback whales. There's a large population of dun-gongs that live amongest the reef. There is more than 1,500 fish species that live on the reef, including clown fish, red bass, red-throat emperor and several species if snapper and coral throat. Forty nine species of mass spawn, while there are eighty four other species of mass spawn. Seventeen different species of sea snakes that live on the Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to 50 metres deep and more common in the southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef Heritage Area are endemic, nor any endangered species. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed - the green sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, hawks bill turtle, loggerhead turtle, flathead turtle and the olive ridley. The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations, one in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef and the other in the southern part
For more information on the Great Barrier Reef - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef
Last Updated : 31st October 2012
Logan Sponseller
Great Barrier Reef Coroporation
Logan Sponseller
Great Barrier Reef Coroporation