Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for August 1, 2024. This week we’re featuring a park that protects the largest and most famous coral reef ecosystem in the world.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Location
Queensland, Australia
Claim to fame
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park oversees a whopping ten percent of the world’s total coral reef ecosystems. Covering over 340,000 square kilometers (130,000 sq miles), the park is about the same size as Japan or Italy and half the size of the state of Texas. It is known the world over for not only the size but also the spectacular beauty and diversity of its coral reefs and other marine environments.
Reason to visit
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a bucket list destination for those interested in coral reefs or natural ecosystems. The park is so popular that tourism contributes over $6 billion annually to the region’s economy.
The scenery here is spectacular, as is the marine diversity on display. The park contains 450 types of hard corals and 1,000 kinds of soft corals and sea pens, as well as thousands of other marine species of plants and animals (for example, there are over 1,000 species of marine worm), many of which can be seen on boat, snorkeling, and diving tours.
Wild Fact
Climate change is impacting coral reefs around the world, including the Great Barrier Reef. The park’s reefs have experienced several bleaching events–where ocean temperatures rise so high that they kill off whole colonies of reef–since the park was created in 1975. The recent summer of 2023-2024 was particularly harsh for the park’s coral.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which manages the park, is regarded as a global leader in marine park management. They monitor ecosystem health and design and implement strategies to make their reefs more resilient. Their efforts have helped reefs bounce back after previous bleaching events and reduced disease and invasive species.
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