The Great Barrier Reef Interesting facts and information

The Great Barrier Reef! Interesting facts and information!

Location! • The Great Barrier Reef is located off the North -Eastern Coast of Australia near Queensland.

What is it? • One of the 7 Wonders of the World! It can be seen from space! • It is the largest coral reef system in the world! • It is the world’s largest living structure! • It is made up of around 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands! • The Great Barrier Reef is around 2600 kilometres (1616 miles) in length. • It’s the size of about 70 million football fields!

Coral! • A marine animal. • It resembles a cross between colourful rocks and various bits of seaweed. • Coral create calcium carbonate • Coral can be (limestone) which forms a hard, shell found in warm -like skeleton. shallow seas or oceans. • Coral only grows a few inches each year.

Life on the Reef! • It is home to a wide range of life, including fish, sea turtles, giant clam, seahorse, sea snakes, sea turtles, stingray, sharks and many more. • Over 1500 kinds of fish live in the Great Barrier reef, including Finding Nemo star the Clownfish! • The smallest fish is called the Stout Infant Fish which is only 7 millimetres long, and the biggest is the whale shark which can grow up to 12 metres long! • It also contains some of the deadliest animals in the ocean, including Box Jellyfish, the Blue Ringed Octopus, and Stone Fish.

Stingray Blue Ringed Octopus Dugong Blue Starfish

Protection! • The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of extinction. • 27% of the world’s reefs have already been lost. • This happens by pollution and throwing anchors on The Great Barrier Reef. • We can protect our coral reefs by not dropping our anchors on the reefs, because the reefs are very delicate. • Do not touch coral because it is very delicate. • Avoid stirring up the sea bottom. It will rip up the coral. • Don’t leave trash on the beach.