THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Chances are, you’ve seen images of the Great Barrier Reef at some point in your life. Disney even made a famous movie that featured a little clownfish that called the Great Barrier Reef his home. While this underwater world is incredible to look at, there are several amazing facts about this reef that make it an important part of our ecosystem.

The Great Barrier Reef is the only living object visible from space and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

There are more than 400 different types of coral in the Great Barrier Reef alone.

Fish aren’t the only thing that call the reef home—over 200 birds and 20 types of reptiles live in the reef.

The coral on the reef is old—so old that scientists estimate the Great Barrier Reef is 20 million years old.

Around 2 million people visit the reef every year.

Coral bleaching is one of the biggest threats to the reef. When water temperatures get too warm, the coral releases an algae that causes the coral to turn bleach white. While white coral doesn’t necessarily mean the coral is dead, it does mean there is stress on the coral and there is a greater chance it will die.

The reef is made up of around 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.