The Great Barrier Reef: Not Only Queensland’s but the World First & Largest Coral Reef System


Queensland is popular for a lot of things but it is the most popular for The Great Barrier Reef. It is the largest coral reef system not only of Australia but the entire world. Tourists across the globe come here to experience different types of adventures and explore the coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef is a world heritage site that contributes greatly to the coast of Queensland and surrounded by many other coastal areas like Mackay, Airlie Beach etc.

 

Geographically, the barrier reef is about 344,400 square kilometres and it is the biggest structure made of living organism. Want to know more about this beautiful and iconic site? Here are exciting and fun facts about the Great Barrier Reef everyone should know!

 

  • The coral system is so big that it is visible from space! Shocking right? Not even the Great Wall of China is visible from outer space.
  • The Australian Government has a Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan spanning through 2015 to 2050. The aim of the plan is to manage reef and its ecosystem to meet the standards of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee reviews.
  • To preserve the flora and fauna of the site, there is a Reef Trust that combines the financial inputs by the government of Australia and private beneficiaries. According to information by the Department of Agriculture, Water, and Environment, the Australian Government has committed more than $700 million to the trust!
  • The Great Barrier Reef is exceptionally long as well with a length of 2,300km.
  • Here you can find more than 600 types of soft and hard coral, six types of turtles, 215 species of birds, and 17 species of sea snakes.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 1500 types of fishes and it consists of 10% of the entire world’s fish species.
  • To understand how vast the Great Barrier Reef is here is a comparison. You can fit about 70 million football fields in it! What’s more, it is larger than both the states Victoria and Tasmania combined.

 

Threats to the Reef

Although The Great Barrier Reef is thousands of years old and it has sustained a lot, it is under threat since 1985. It has lost about half of its coral cover and the contributing factors include global warming, poor quality of water, coastal developments, and illegal fishing. The government is contributing by monitoring tourism and funding conservation campaigns. You can contribute to the keeping the reef healthy by thinking about the environment and ensuring your lifestyle choices are eco-friendly.

 

Conclusion

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest and oldest coral reef system of not only Queensland but the world as well. It is also known to be the earliest and first coral reef. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. So, if you are planning to visit here then read the information above to know more about it!


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