The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is found in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
Captain James Cook, an English explorer and naval officer, discovered the Great Barrier Reef for the first time in 1770.
Coral is actually made up of thousands of tiny animals called polyps. A coral reef is a large underwater structure made of dead and living corals.
It is a very complex structure that formed over millions of years and grows very slowly. They are made up of layers of limestone (calcium carbonate).
The reef consists of 2,900 individual reefs. The Great Barrier Reef has 900 islands.
Over 1500 kinds of fish live in the Great Barrier reef. The smallest fish is called the Stout Infant Fish, which is just 7.9 cm in length, and the biggest is the Whale Shark.
The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful but also contains some of the deadliest animals in the ocean, including Box Jellyfish, the Blue Ringed Octopus, and Stone Fish.
The popular Disney/Pixar character Nemo is based on the Anemone Fish (or Clown Fish), which can be seen all over the Great Barrier Reef and look great in photos!
The underwater habitat makes it difficult for most plants to thrive in the Great Barrier Reef. The plants that do grow along the collection of coral reefs are different types of algae (like seaweed), sea grasses, sea lettuce, etc.
Fun Facts
👉 It measures up to 2,300 kilometers in length. The Great Barrier Reef is larger than the entire country of Italy put together.
👉 Many people call the Great Barrier Reef one of the “7 Natural Wonders of the World”.
👉 Astronauts can see the Great Barrier Reef from space.
You can refer to the video