The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth

Satellite photograph of the Great Barrier Reef situated off the northerastern coast of Australia.

Stretching for 1,600 miles (2,600 kilometers) over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles (344,400 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. The reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea.

The reef, which is large enough to be visible from space, is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs. Much of the Great Barrier Reef is a marine protected area, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.

For more information:
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Coral Reef Conservation
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program