The Largest Barrier Reef

The Largest Barrier Reef - The Great Barrier Reef of Australia

      The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest range of corals in the world, with 2,300 miles long, with a width ranging from 20 to 240 km.

     The Great Barrier Reef coral can be seen from space and is the world's largest structure made only by living organisms composed of millions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps.

    The Great Barrier Reef is a huge range of corals, composed of about 2900 reefs, 600 continental islands and 300 coral atolls, located between the beaches of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

      It includes a rich biodiversity and has been named a World Heritage of Humanity in 1981 and one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a finalist in the list prepared by the New7Wonders Foundation.

      A large part of the reef is protected by the National Park of the Great Barrier Reef, which helps to limit the impacts of human use, such as fishing and tourism.

   Other environmental pressures on the reef surrounding the runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching and outbreaks in the population of the sea star-crown-of-thorns that feeds on corals.

     The Great Barrier Reef has been known for its use by the local Aborigines and the natives of the Torres Strait Islands, and is an important component to the local culture.

    In this complex ecosystem, there are around 1500 species of fish, 360 species of coral, from 5000 to 8000 species of molluscs, 400 to 500 species of marine algae, 1330 species of crustaceans and over 800 species of echinoderms.

    Despite the biodiversity that is, the vast coral reef in danger of extinction because of pollution and marítma abnormal warming of waters caused by El Niño weather phenomenon.

   It is right destination for those going to Australia. The major barrier has sought beautiful island every year by tourists from around the world. Tourism is an important activity for the region, moving up to 1 billion dollars per year.