Barrier Reef Anemonefish

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, extending more than 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles) along Queensland’s northeastern coast. Rather than one continuous reef, it comprises nearly 3,000 individual reefs, coral cays, islands, seagrass beds, mangroves, and deep-water habitats. Divers encounter environments ranging from sheltered coral gardens to outer-reef walls inhabited by reef fishes, sea turtles, rays, sharks, and numerous coral and invertebrate species. The ecosystem was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 and is also Sea Country for more than 70 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owner groups. Climate change, coral bleaching, cyclones, declining water quality, and crown-of-thorns starfish remain significant pressures across the reef.

Fun Fact: The Great Barrier Reef contains approximately 10 percent of the world’s coral reef ecosystems.