The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef ecosystem on Earth. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s the biggest structure on the planet made by living organisms. The reef is attributed with significant cultural and historical heritage values under UNESCO’s World Heritage framework, along with meeting all 4 natural criteria, which include:
The 2,900 individual coral reefs and 900 islands that make up the reef are home to a rich and colourful array of marine wildlife. This beautiful natural wonder is a popular visitor attraction for snorkellers and divers.
The reefs fall into three categories:
1. Fringing, which occur around the edges of the continental islands that were once a part of the mainland
2. Ribbon or outer, reefs which grow on the edge of the continental shelf
3. Platform or patch reefs, which support a cay, or island formed by sedimentary debris swept onto the reef
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a long history of connection with the Great Barrier Reef. These two peoples lived on what is now the seafloor, before sea level changes and the reef formation over 7000 years ago. Since then, the connection between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for their Sea Country has been maintained through cultural and spiritual practices. You can read more here about the Great Barrier Reef traditional owners.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park stretches along the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland in Australia’s northeast. It is 2,300km (1,400mi) long and covers an area of 344,400km².
Cairns and Port Douglas in Tropical North Queensland are the most popular destinations for visitors wanting to experience the Great Barrier Reef.
The reefs themselves are made up of corals, which are tiny polyps that join together to form massive colourful and intricately shaped colonies. There are more than 400 different species of corals.
These coral reefs are home to a diverse and abundant range of animals and plants. There are more than 1,500 species of reef fish, from ‘nemos’ and butterfly fish to wrasse, damsel, angelfish and cod, as well as friendly reef sharks and rays. You’ll find six varieties of turtle on the Great Barrier Reef, and resident and visiting marine mammals like dolphins, dugongs and whales.
The outer reef is truly an underwater paradise, with beautifully warm and clear waters to explore by snorkelling near the surface, or diving deeper to see more incredible species. You could be diving among coral gardens, over columns and pinnacles, or along reef walls – the reef environments from ribbons to fringes and platforms are so diverse.
The reef is managed and cared for by GBRMPA, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. They work alongside scientists, government departments, traditional owners, tourism operators and individuals to protect the reef from environmental threats and preserve it from future generations.
All day tours to the reef incur an EMC or Environmental Management Charge which goes directly to GBRMPA to fund the day-to-day management of the park.
The Great Barrier Reef is primarily protected by the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. It is managed through a comprehensive multiple-use zoning plan, with 33% of the park highly protected.
The Great Barrier Reef is a vast and vibrant ecosystem and millions of visitors enjoy its natural wonders every year. However, like all coral reefs around the world, climate change and other environmental threats put it under pressure.
‘Climate change’ refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns, largely due to greenhouse gas emissions driven by human activity. This results in increased severe weather in certain places, melting of ice in polar regions, increasing sea level, and many other potential impacts.
Higher water temperatures can lead to coral bleaching – a situation where the algae that live within coral (and produce those beautiful colours) get stressed, start to release toxins that poison the coral, and get kicked out. This doesn’t necessarily kill the coral, but if water temperatures stay too high over time, the coral will eventually die.
Other climate change impacts such as ocean acidification, severe weather events and habitat changes may also affect different areas of the reef in the future. Read more about these potential threats here.
Many scientists, citizen projects and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority work to ensure the preservation of the reef for future generations. Blueprint 2030 is a plan to build climate resilience and adaptation for future changes and focuses on the entire reef ecosystem, highlighting the importance of biodiversity conservation.
You can read more about our efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef here. Then find out what you can do when travelling and at home to help protect the reef here.
Exploring other areas of the Great Barrier Reef
Our Day and Overnight trips visit some of the best areas of the reef but you can explore areas north of Cairns and into the Coral Sea on expedition liveaboard. Multi-night Liveaboard Cairns dive trips on board Spirit of Freedom travel several hundreds of kilometres north of city each week and visit famous dive sites in the Coral Sea and through the vibrant Ribbon Reefs. These trips start from 3 nights, with the full round trip back to Cairns taking 7 nights to complete.
