Great Barrier Reef
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How it came to be
The Great Barrier Reef runs about 2,000 km along Australia's northeast coast and covers some 348,000 km². It is made up of about 2,500 reefs and more than 900 islands, and reefs have grown on the continental shelf over roughly the past 15,000 years.
Aboriginal peoples have used these waters for at least 40,000 years and Torres Strait Islanders for about 10,000. On 11 June 1770 Cook's Endeavour ran aground on the reef and needed seven weeks of repairs. Matthew Flinders mapped it in detail in 1802 and gave it its name.
Australia created the marine park in 1975, and UNESCO listed the reef in 1981. It holds about 400 coral species and more than 1,500 fish species. Since 1998, marine heatwaves have caused repeated mass bleaching.
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