WhereIsAtlas · Geography
The Great Barrier Reef
The world's largest coral reef — a 2,300 km living structure off Australia's coast, under threat from warming
Active — The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, stretching about 2,300 kilometers off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It supports extraordinary biodiversity but is under serious threat from coral bleaching driven by rising ocean temperatures.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, located in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It stretches about 2,300 kilometers, from south of Papua New Guinea to just north of Fraser Island, covering an area of roughly 344,400 square kilometers.
The reef is not a single structure but a vast system of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and around 900 islands. It is home to an extraordinary range of marine life, including more than a thousand species of fish, and is one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
The Great Barrier Reef is under serious threat. Rising ocean temperatures have caused repeated mass coral bleaching events, and the reef has faced growing pressure from pollution, cyclones and climate change. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its health is one of the most closely watched environmental issues of the modern era.
Quick facts
- Location
- Coral Sea, off Queensland, Australia
- Length
- ~2,300 km
- Area
- ~344,400 km²
- Structure
- ~2,900 reefs + ~900 islands
- Biodiversity
- 1,000+ fish species
- Threat
- Coral bleaching from warming oceans
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Sources
- Great Barrier Reef - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
- Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef - GBRMPA / reporting — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching
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