Great barrier reef, Australia

It Consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching across 2,300 kilometres and an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres, 133,000 square miles. It is the largest single structure created by individual living organisms, it supports a resoundingly wide variety of life. A large part of the reef is protected in the Great barrier reef marine park which limits the impacts of humanity including both fishing and tourism.

It’s greatest threats are runoff man-made pollutants climate change which is causing mop coral bleaching and dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic pollution outbreaks of the crown of thorns starfish. It has lost more than half of its coral cover since 1985, and this does not take into account a widespread bleaching event in 2020. There is a variety of interesting wildlife including giant clams manta rays, maori wrasse, sharks of a variety of species including wobbegongs tiger sharks hammerheads and even the enormous whale shark along with more common species such as black tips white tips and grey reef sharks, clownfish turtles and a fish called a potato cod. Also during Australia’s winter and spring from June to November up to 10,000 Whales migrate North from Antarctica called the waters to the warm shallows of the Great barrier reef, while many species make this migration you are most likely to encounter humpback whales and dwarf minke whales. Other species often seen include dugongs, leafy sea dragon sea snakes, parrot fish crocodiles and sponges.