The Geography and Location of the Great Barrier Reef
Where is the Great Barrier Reef located along Australia's northeastern coast, stretching over 2,300 kilometers from Papua New Guinea to the southern city of Bundaberg. This massive ecosystem lies in the Coral Sea, running parallel to Queensland's coast. The reef system encompasses six distinct Natural Resource Management NRM regions: Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay Whitsunday, Fitzroy, and Burnett Mary.
The Great Barrier Reef map shows its impressive scale, spanning from the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. This UNESCO World Heritage Site creates a natural barrier between the shallow coastal waters and the deeper ocean trenches. The reef's location makes it particularly vulnerable to both oceanic and coastal influences, contributing to its rich biodiversity but also its environmental challenges.
Definition: 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 kilometers over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers.
The History of the Great Barrier Reef dates back millions of years, with its discovery by Europeans occurring in 1770 when Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour ran aground on the reef during a severe storm. This accidental encounter led to the first documented European observation of this natural wonder, though Indigenous Australians had known and lived alongside the reef for thousands of years prior.