The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the world’s biggest coral reef system. It is made up of 400 types of coral and is home to 1,500 species of fish and 4000 varieties of mollusc.
It is indeed the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms and is so huge that it is visible from outer space. So, imagine the size.
Billions of tiny organisms called coral polyps compose the Great Barrier Reef; there are around 3000 individual reefs that span over 2300 kilometres.
It is home to a wide range of organisms including the green sea turtle, stingray, clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor, dwarf minke whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and the humpback whale.
The Reef also supports around 500 species of algae and seaweed.
A large part of the Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Park works to limit the impact of human interventions, such as fishing and tourism. It also monitors the health of the Reef.
Picture Credit : Google
