Great Barrier Reef - (World Heritage Natural Site in Australia)

Great Barrier Reef - Australia

Short Report

The Great Barrier Reef is a remarkable variety and beauty to the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species and about 4,000 species of molluscs. This also has great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong ( 'sea cow') and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.

Wonderful Universal Importance

 As the world's most extensive coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef is a worldwide excellent and important entity. Almost the entire ecosystem was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1981, it covers an area of 348,000 square kilometers and over a consecutive origine range of 14o (10oS 24 oS). The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) contains extensive cross-shelf diversity, which extends from the low water mark along the continental coast up to 250 miles offshore. This large depth range includes large shallow coastal areas, mid-shelf and outer reefs and beyond the continental shelf for oceanic waters more than 2,000 meters deep.

In the framework of the GBR there are some 2,500 individual reefs of different sizes and shapes, and more than 900 islands, ranging from small sandy cays and larger wooded cays, to large robust continental islands rises, in one case, more than 1,100 meters above sea level. Jointly these landscapes and seascapes offer the most spectacular maritime landscapes in the world. The origine and cross-shelf diversity, combined with diversity by the depth of the water column, includes a globally unique ecological communities, habitats and species. This diversity of habitats and species, and their interconnectivity, make the GBR one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth. There are more than 1500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, some 4,000 types of mollusk and approximately 240 species of birds, plus a wide variety of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, and other species. No other World Heritage property contains this biodiversity. This diversity, in particular the endemic species, means the GBR is of great scientific and intrinsic importance, and it also contains a large number of endangered species. Attime inscription of the IUCN review '... If only one coral reef in the world would be chosen for the World Heritage List, the Great Barrier Reef is the site to be chosen'.

Wide Report

The Great Barrier Reef is a remarkable variety and beauty to the north-east coast of Australia. It the world's most comprehensive piece coral reef and is probably the richest region in terms of faunal diversity in the world. Its large diversity reflects the duration of an ecosystem that has evolved over millions of years on the north-eastern continental shelf of Australia. The site contains a large variety of plant species, including more than 1500 species, 360 species of hard coral, 5,000 species of shellfish, and more than 175 species of birds, plus a wide variety of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, among others.

The reef, to Papua New Guinea, the reef consists of such a 2900 individual reefs of all sizes and shapes more than 20,000 km2, including 760 adjust color fringing reefs, which vary in size from less than 1 ha to 10,000 ha and vary in form to the most spectacular marine nature on earth. There are approximately 600 continental islands many with towering forests and freshwater rivers and 300 coral cays and unvegetated sand cays. A rich variety of landscapes and seascapes, with rugged mountains with dense and diverse vegetation and adjacent edges reefs, spectacular scenery. The form and structure of the individual reefs show great variety. Two large classes are defined: platform or patch reefs, as a result of a radial growth; and wall reefs, resulting from elongated growth, often in areas with strong water flow. There are also many adjustment for color fringing reefs where the reef growth is located on subtidal rock of the mainland coast or continental islands.

The site contains important feeding grounds for the endangered dugong and nesting grounds of world importance for two endangered marine turtles, the green and the loggerhead turtle, as well as habitat for four other species of marine turtle; in view of the serious tensions in this species elsewhere, the Great Barrier Reef can secure their last stronghold. It is also an important breeding ground for humpback whales and other species.

A wide range of fleshy algae, many of which small and unobtrusive but very productive and highly grazed by turtles, fish, molluscs and sea urchins. In Addition algae are an important part of reef building processes. 15 Types of seagrass carpeting adds grow in the reef area more than 3000 km2 of seagrass carpeting adds meadows and thus an important food source for grazing animals, such as manatees.

The Great Barrier Reef, and in particular the northern sector is important in the historical and contemporary culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups of the coastal regions of north-eastern Australia. This modern use of and association with the Marine Park plays an important role in the preservation of their culture and there is a strong spiritual connection with the ocean and its inhabitants.

Source:whc/unesco