All engines are to be shut down so as not to endanger the animal and no interference or harm is to be inflicted on the whale. The Reef is home to approximately: 1500 species of fish; 360 species of hard corals; one-third of the world's soft corals; 4000 species of molluscs (eg. The severe coral bleaching which has occurred damaged approximately 1,500 km of the reef’s coral. It has been listed an important World Heritage Site by UNESCO.The Great Barrier Reef is the largest structure made by living things. We work to protect marine animal species that are threatened, iconic or at risk. The life span of the largest brain corals is 900 years. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "flower animals." While coral might look like a plant, it’s actually an animal as it does not produce its own food. Unlike algae, seaweed are natural flowering plants like normal land plants. The Great Barrier Reef provides habitats for a wide variety of marine-based plants and animals. Brain corals are found in shallow warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. Examples are protective coloration (camouflage) and the ability to retain water. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). THERE ARE MORE than 600 coral species in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which covers 344,400sq.km of ocean. Some of these exist only on this reef system. The Great Barrier Reef is a refuge for many species of conservation concern. Ecology. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef.It is close to the coast of Queensland, Australia.It is made up of nearly 3000 coral reefs and over 600 islands.It is 327,800 km² big and 2600 km long. This includes many vulnerable or endangered species. Corals are colonies of tiny polyps, which are animals related to sea anemones and jellyfish.A reef begins when a polyp attaches to a rock on the seabed and divides into clones.
It is 327,800 km² big and 2600 km long. These kinds of reef do not exist in the rest of the Great Barrier Reef system. Colonies can grow as large as 6 or more feet (1.8 m) high. Tiny algae (zooxanthellae) uses photosynthesis to give energy to the coral when the coral Red algae is very important. In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, there are ribbon reefs and deltaic reefs.

The shallow waters that are around the Great Barrier Reef allow the water to warm up from 18-33 degrees Celsius. The Great Barrier Reef is home to many animals, such as fish, sea turtles, giant clam, seahorses, sea snakes, sea turtles, stingrays, ... feed on the many plants of the Great Barrier Reef. There are large numbers of colonies that are made up of individual polyps linked by tissue. The Great Barrier Reef has 14000 different plants and animals. By working closely with the state and federal government and the community, threats to species can be identified and appropriate management actions can occur. It has been listed an important World Heritage Site by UNESCO.The Great Barrier Reef is the largest structure made by living things.