Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, extending along Australia’s northeastern coast in the Coral Sea. It comprises thousands of reefs and islands built mainly by corals.

Coral: Marine invertebrates that often live in colonies and build calcium-carbonate skeletons. Colonies of reef-building corals create much of the reef’s physical framework.
Marine biodiversity: The variety of life and ecological relationships found in marine environments. The reef’s habitats support an exceptionally diverse array of marine species.
Climate change: Long-term shifts in climate patterns, increasingly driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Warming seas and rising extremes are intensifying major threats to reef ecosystems.
Whitsunday Islands: A group of continental islands off Queensland, Australia, within the Great Barrier Reef region. Their reefs and sheltered waters are among the system’s best-known visitor destinations.
Zooxanthellae: Photosynthetic algae that live within the tissues of many corals and exchange nutrients with them. These symbiotic algae supply corals with much of their energy in clear, sunlit water.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: A protected marine area established by Australia to conserve the Great Barrier Reef and manage its uses. Zoning and permits regulate activities across much of the reef system.
Marine heatwave: A prolonged period of unusually warm ocean temperatures in a particular region. Repeated heatwaves have caused widespread coral bleaching on the reef.
Lizard Island: A continental island and research location in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Its surrounding reefs host long-running ecological research.
Coral bleaching: The whitening of corals after they lose or expel symbiotic algae, often under environmental stress. Marine heatwaves can trigger bleaching across large areas of the reef.
Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: The UNESCO World Heritage property encompassing the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding waters. Its designation recognizes the reef’s outstanding natural values and brings international scrutiny.

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