Search results
Between 1801 and 1803, Matthew Flinders undertook the monumental task of surveying the entire Australian coastline and at one point actually walked on what he named the ‘Extensive Barrier Reefs’. It was Flinders who charted a safe passage through by sending small boats ahead to sound the depths. This passage is still known as Flinder’s ...
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, [1] [2] composed of over 2,900 individual reefs [3] and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). [4] [5] The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia ...
- 34,870,000 ha (86,200,000 acres)
- 1981 (5th Session)
- Natural: vii, viii, ix, x
- Off the east coast of the Queensland mainland, Australia
- Overview
- Geography
Great Barrier Reef, complex of coral reefs, shoals, and islets in the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Australia that is the longest and largest reef complex in the world. The Great Barrier Reef extends in roughly a northwest-southeast direction for more than 1,250 miles (2,000 km), at an offshore distance ranging from 10 to 100 miles (1...
The reef actually consists of some 2,100 individual reefs and some 800 fringing reefs (formed around islands or bordering coastlines). Many are dry or barely awash at low tide; some have islands of coral sand, or cays; and others fringe high islands or the mainland coast. In spite of this variety, the reefs share a common origin: each has been formed, over millions of years, from the skeletons and skeletal waste of a mass of living marine organisms. The “bricks” in the reef framework are formed by the calcareous remains of the tiny creatures known as coral polyps and hydrocorals, while the “cement” that binds these remains together is formed in large part by coralline algae and bryozoans. The interstices of this framework have been filled in by vast quantities of skeletal waste produced by the pounding of the waves and the depredations of boring organisms.
European exploration of the reef began in 1770, when the British explorer Capt. James Cook ran his ship aground on it. The work of charting channels and passages through the maze of reefs, begun by Cook, continued during the 19th century. The Great Barrier Reef Expedition of 1928–29 contributed important knowledge about coral physiology and the ecology of coral reefs. A modern laboratory on Heron Island continues scientific investigations, and several studies have been undertaken in other areas.
The reef has risen on the shallow shelf fringing the Australian continent, in warm waters that have enabled the corals to flourish (they cannot exist where average temperatures fall below 70 °F [21 °C]). Borings have established that reefs were growing on the continental shelf as early as the Miocene Epoch (23.0 million to 5.3 million years ago). Subsidence of the continental shelf has proceeded, with some reversals, since the early Miocene.
Britannica Quiz
Wonders of the World Quiz
The water environment of the Great Barrier Reef is formed by the surface water layer of the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The reef waters show little seasonal variation: surface-water temperature is high, ranging from 70 to 100 °F (21 to 38 °C). The waters are generally crystal-clear, with submarine features clearly visible at depths of 100 feet (30 metres).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Oct 19, 2023 · The Great Barrier Reef, which extends for over 2,300 kilometers (1429 miles) along the northeastern coast of Australia, is home to over 9,000 known species. There are likely many more—new discoveries are frequently being made, including a new species of branching coral discovered in 2017. This richness and uniqueness make the reef crucial for ...
Jun 27, 2016 · The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth. It provides habitat for nearly 9,000 species of marine life—and that’s just the (relatively) easy to count ones! The reef’s rich biodiversity helps it to maintain a stable and healthy coral reef system. Another way to look at biodiversity is from the perspective of the ...
People also ask
When did the Great Barrier Reef develop?
Is Great Barrier Reef a World Heritage Site?
How long did the Great Barrier Reef last?
How big is the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is considered the youngest reef system in the world with its earliest beginning around 600,000 years ago and the modern GBR forming only 9,500 years ago. Coral reefs are limestone structures (Calcium carbonate structures) produced by living organisms.
Sep 14, 2012 · The Great Barrier Reef is a mosaic of 2,900 individual reefs off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. The sprawling reef can be seen from space and is not only the world's largest...
Ad
related to: When did 'the Great Barrier Reef' come out on Animal Planet?Visit the Great Barrier Reef on a tailor-made tour of Australia. Call our specialists now. Discover an easy-going land, filled with natural wonders & celebrate the great outdoors.
