Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is an extensive complex of islets, shoals and, of course, coral reefs. It is located off of Australia’s northeastern coastline in the Pacific Ocean. The Reef expands over 1,250 miles to the northwest-southeast, at about 10 to 100 miles offshore, and is about 135,00 square miles in area. This wonder has been characterized as the biggest structure that living creatures have ever built.
There are actually 2,100 reefs and 800 fringing reefs around the Great Barrier Reef. All of the reefs, however, share a common origin. They have all been formed from the skeletal waste and skeletons of a living marine organism mass over the course of millions of years. The framework of the reef is formed from tiny creatures’ calcareous remains, which are known as hydro corals and coral polyps, and bryozoans and coralline algae are what holds it all together.
At the Great Barrier Reef, at least 300 different species of hard coral, worms, sponges, anemones, crabs, prawns, crayfish, lobsters, gastropods, and a wide variety of other fish, as well as birds, can be found. The crown-of-thorns-starfish is actually the reef’s most destructive animal, which has decreased the attraction and color of much the reefs due to feeding on a lot of the coral that is alive.
The Porolithon and Lithothamnion red algae forms most of the characteristic features of the Great Barrier Reef, and Halimeda green algae can be found nearly everywhere. On the surface, there isn’t as much plant life, with only 30 to 40 different species.
Great Barrier Reef
3 Clown FishPhoto by: Leonard Low
A Sea Turtle at Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Leonard Low
Three Yellow Fish and a Lonely FishPhoto by: Leonard Low
2 Beautiful ClownfishPhoto by: Leonard Low
Alien WaterscapePhoto by: Shayan
School of Yellow TailsPhoto by: Icelight
Sunset at Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Shayan
Tamarind Trees Near Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Robandstephanielevy
View of Great Barrier Reef Water from Boeing 737 on the Way to CairnsPhoto by: Shayan
Big FishPhoto by: Tarotastic
Sting Ray Found at Great Barrier Reef
Photo by: Leonard Low
Reef SharkPhoto by: Leonard Low
Sting Ray at the bottom of Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Leonard Low
Moray Eel Photo by: Leonard Low
Lots of Yellow FishPhoto by: Leonard Low
Green Island BeachPhoto by: Corey Leopold
Big Corals at the Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Shayan
Scene Near Great Barrier Reef with Nice FlowersPhoto by: Robandstephanielevy
Two Fish at Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Leonard Low
Sea Turtle Found at the Bottom of Great Barrier ReefPhoto by: Rumpleteaser
So Much FishPhoto by: Ciamabue
I really like the pic.s
wow…!!! lots of cool pictures. but the most i love is, clown fish. great work done by the post.
well i really want to visit the great barriar reef it looks so bright and beautiful that what i would like
woooooow\
i reall ylike the flying fish and the dolphinssssss they are so cute
That was really kool!! But our Barrier reefs r being destroyed. I wish people wouldn’t liter or drive boats or in barrier reefs. the shark is a white tip
i learning about this place i need to know what trees there are in this place