How Big Is The Great Barrier Reef?

Stretching for 1,429 miles over an area of approximately

133,000 square miles

, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.

How long and wide is the GBR?

Is the Great Barrier Reef bigger than Germany?

Fact: The Great Barrier Reef is greater in size than the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined. Fact:

The Great Barrier Reef is approximately the same area as Italy, Germany, Malaysia or Japan

.

How much of the Great Barrier Reef is left?

Between 1986 and 2012, over half of the living coral has been lost. If current trends continue,

over 90 percent or more of the living coral will be gone from the central and southern parts of the reef in just 10 years

.

How big is the Great Barrier Reef in 2021?

So how big is it? It spans over 2,300 kilometres along the northeast coast of Queensland, covering roughly

348,000 square kilometres

.

How dead is the Great Barrier Reef?

In 2020, a study found that

the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995

due to warmer seas driven by climate change. As global warming continues, corals will not be able to keep up with increasing ocean temperatures.

Who owns the Great Barrier Reef?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

are the Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef area and have a continuing connection to their land and sea country.

How many islands make up the Great Barrier Reef?

But what you may not realise is the Great Barrier Reef isn't just made up of colourful coral and a buzzing marine life; it's also home to

over 900

islands, dotted from the Southern Great Barrier Reef to the tip of Cape York.

How long is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia?

Satellite photograph of the Great Barrier Reef situated off the northeastern coast of Australia. Stretching for

1,429 miles

over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles , the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.

Is Japan the same size as the Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef encompasses over 900 islands along 2,600 kilometers. To give some perspective, the Great Barrier Reef is greater than the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined. Or, put another way,

it is approximately the same size as each of the following countries: Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Germany

.

What country visits the Great Barrier Reef the most?

Already, research by Tourism

Australia

shows that 42% of international visitors rank the GBR as the most appealing tourist attraction in Australia, just after beaches and wildlife.

How old is the Great Barrier Reef?

Although coral reefs have been around for over 500 million years, the Great Barrier Reef is relatively young at 500,000 years, and this most modern form is only

8,000 years old

, having developed after the last ice age.

How bleached is the Great Barrier Reef?

60 per cent

of the Great Barrier Reef bleached in 2019-20

Of the 1036 reefs surveyed by scientists in a plane, 60 per cent had either moderate or severe bleaching.

What would happen if coral reefs go extinct?

Coral reefs are known as “the rainforests of the sea” and provide a quarter of marine species with habitat and food. If coral reefs disappeared,

essential food, shelter and spawning grounds for fish and other marine organisms would cease to exist, and biodiversity would greatly suffer as a consequence

.

What will happen if the Great Barrier Reef dies?

Coastlines would take a battering

Without them, shorelines would be vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels would push coast-dwelling communities out of their homes

. Nearly 200 million people rely on coral reefs to safeguard them from storms.

Why is the Great Barrier Reef so special?

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem and boasts more than 2,900 separate coral reefs, a network of deep water canyons, plateaux, slopes and channels, as well as roughly 6,000 square metres of seagrass beds. All of this makes for the perfect recipe for unforgettable adventures.

What percentage of the Great Barrier Reef is bleached 2021?

Central GBR reefs surveyed in 2021 had low-level bleaching (


of corals bleached), indicating there was some accumulation of thermal stress. No bleaching levels higher than this were recorded.

What is the most rarest fish in the Great Barrier Reef?

Researchers exploring the depths of the northern Great Barrier Reef have found a rare species of “walking” fish never before recorded in Australian waters. This type of scorpion fish is called the

Rhinopias agriloba

, is normally found in waters around Hawaii, in the central Pacific.

Is the Great Barrier Reef one of the 7 Wonders?

The Great Barrier Reef is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world

, alongside the likes of Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon, and it is the largest coral reef system on earth.

Does the Great Barrier Reef still exist?

Today,

there are still many parts of the reef that remain in excellent condition

– the ecosystem has huge in-built resilience that allows coral to recover when given the chance – but the number of such reefs has been declining over time. And the number of reefs in poor condition is increasing.

How much of the world's coral is bleached?

Bleaching also matters because it's not an isolated phenomenon. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, between 2014 and 2017 around

75%

of the world's tropical coral reefs experienced heat-stress severe enough to trigger bleaching.

How much money does Australia make from the Great Barrier Reef?

“ The Great Barrier Reef has a economic, social and icon asset value of $56 billion. It supports 64,000 jobs and contributes

$6.4 billion

to the Australian economy. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth.

What is the closest island to the Great Barrier Reef?

Lizard Island

, The Furthest North

North of Cairns some 150 miles and just under 20 miles from the mainland, Lizard Island is the only continental island close to the outer reef, and yes, it is home to a lot of lizards. The island is famous for its celebrity visitors, its luxury and secluded resort, and its nature.

How many fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef is home to a stunning array of animals, from microscopic plankton to whales weighing more than 100 tonnes. More than just fish and coral, the Reef supports:

1625 species of fish

, including 1400 coral reef species. More than 3000 species of molluscs (shells)