How old is the great barrier reef australia

Adventures around this spectacular area can take place from the air, by boat, or by diving beneath the waves and swimming alongside the spectacular corals. With almost 3, individual reefs, islands, and stretching for 2,km there is no denying the reef is massive. This incredible living system can even be viewed from space. If you want to get an idea of size, then imagine the country of Italy lying just off the coast of Australia and you begin to get an idea of its vastness.

It is home to an incredible diversity of species. Attempting to list all the species here would be a challenge to say the least so here are some of the most impressive groups that the reef is home to:. So what is a coral, you ask?

Corals are formed by tiny creatures called polyps that have a sac-like body with emerging tentacles. Corals gain their rock-like structure from the polyps as they use calcium and carbonate ions from the seawater to create a hard outer skeleton to protect their soft bodies. These polyps survive due to their relationship with the algae that live alongside them. Related articles Powerplay 2D2N. Great Barrier Reef coral breeding program sheds hope for reef Scientific coral breeding program aims to aid the Reef's coral population in reg Read More.

George Clooney and Julia Roberts close Whitsunday waterways for filming new roma Hollywood celebrities close waterways between Cid Island and Whitsunday Island f Coral tissue can die from exposure to sun at low tides or warm water. Dead coral can be quickly colonised by opportunistic, fast growing organisms, as is the case with Muga dhambi.

Green boring sponge invades and excavates corals. We found marine debris at the base of Muga dhambi, comprising rope and three concrete blocks. Such debris is a threat to the marine environment and species such as corals. Read more: The Great Barrier Reef is in trouble.

There are a whopping 45 reasons why. A Traditional Owner from outside the region took part in our citizen science training which included surveys of corals, invertebrates and fish.

We also consulted the Manbarra Traditional Owners about and an appropriate cultural name for the structure. Indigenous languages are an integral part of Indigenous culture, spirituality, and connection to country. Traditional Owners suggested calling the structure Muga dhambi would communicate traditional knowledge, language and culture to other Indigenous people, tourists, scientists and students.

Some of these, such as turtles and crocodiles, have been around since prehistoric times and have changed little over the millennia. The breathtaking array of marine creatures includes types of soft and hard corals, more than species of jellyfish, varieties of molluscs, species of worms, types of fish, varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. While coral reefs initially made the Great Barrier Reef famous, they only comprise about seven per cent of the Marine Park and the World Heritage Area.

The rest of the Marine Park is an extraordinary variety of marine habitats, ranging from shallow inshore areas — such as seagrass, mangroves, sand, algal and sponge gardens, and inter-reefal communities — to deep oceanic areas more than km offshore.