Nature guide

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is located on the North-eastern coast of Australia, off the coast of Queensland. Take a look at the map below.

The Great

Barrier Reef

Natural Features

The natural features of a place or the natural environment includes everything that occurs naturally. All living things, climate, weather and natural resources (such as water) are all part of the natural environment.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth. It is now considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and was placed on the World Heritage List in 1981 because of its natural beauty.

The Great Barrier Reef began to form 500,000 years ago by billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps attaching themselves to rocks.

Today, the Great Barrier Reef includes over 2,900 individual reefs stretching for over 2,600km. There are 600 types of soft and hard corals and thousands of sea animals living in the Great Barrier Reef.

Native Animals

The Great Barrier Reef is home to a huge amount of species, many of these are now endangered and only exist in the world here at the Great Barrier Reef. When exploring the Reef you will find fish, turtles, whales, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, birds and many more.

Keep reading below to find out more about some of these animals.

FISH

There are more than 1,500 species of fish living on the Great Barrier Reef. The most famous of these fish is the clown fish, you might know him as Nemo.

Fish on the Reef come in all varieties of sizes, colours and types. It has been said to be a scuba divers paradise with the amount of fish that can be found in such a small part of the Reef.

One of the most common and largest fish to be found in the Great Barrier Reef is the Wrasse. They have a very distinctive feature and that is the large lump on their forehead. Wrasse are one of the longest-living fish and can live up to 30 years old.

They can also grow up to 2 metres long. Wrasse fish are generally very friendly fish and love to meet scuba divers. Wrasse fish are actually helping protect the Great Barrier Reef as they eat the Crown of Thorn star fish that are attacking the Reef.

Wrasse fish can be found throughout the Great Barrier Reef. They prefer to hide in areas with lots of seaweed or sea grass.

TURTLES

There are six species of turtles that live in the Great Barrier Reef. All six of these species of turtles are unfortunately endangered.

The Green Sea turtle is the most commonly spotted turtle species of the Great Barrier Reef. They can live up to 80 years old. The Green Sea turtle can reach up to 1.3 metres long and weigh up to 130kg.

You can find turtles anywhere throughout the Reef. They like to swim in open areas along the edges of the Reef or the deeper sections.

SHARKS

In the Great Barrier Reef there are approximately 133 species of sharks or stingrays that live there. These range from the small carpet shark to as big as the whale shark. The most commonly seen shark on the Great Barrier Reef is the black-tip reef shark.

The Black-tip reef shark are easy to spot from the black tips on each fin. They can grow up to 2.4 metres long and tend to live among the reefs and not swim too deep.

Reef sharks are commonly found in the sandy patches within the Great Barrier Reef such as 15-25 metres deep. Make sure you look closely as some might be sleeping on the sand patches where you are standing.

BIRDS

The individual small reefs within the large Great Barrier Reef all support the habitat of seabirds. There are more than 200 species of birds that come to the reef or nest on the islands. The most commonly spotted is the white-bellied sea eagle.

The Reef provides the birds with plenty of food as the shallow, clear waters allow them to see from above and dive to catch their prey.

Seabirds are very easy to find at the Great Barrier Reef. They tend to fly around and land in the waters away from the boats or crowds of swimmers.

Native Plants

The Great Barrier Reef has many native plants and corals. Sea grasses and algae are two very common plants in the Great Barrier Reef. While coral can be separated into two types: soft and hard.

SEAGRASS

Seagrass plays an important role in the ecosystem of the reef since it is an important food source for many animals such as turtles. Seagrass is also a great habitat for laying eggs and breeding of many animal species.

Seagrass got its name by some types looking like grass we have on land. Sea grass have roots that are buried in the sand or mud and hold the grass in place and absorb nutrients to feed them.

Seagrass can be found through the Great Barrier Reef on the ocean floor. It is mainly found in the areas between the individual coral reefs.

ALGAE

Algae has been around for more than 2 billion years and there are more than 400 species of algae growing in the Great Barrier Reef. Although algae is called a plant, they do not have roots, stems or leaves like land plants. Seaweed is the most commonly known type of algae.

Algae helps to hold the coral structures of the reef together. Algae also provides a habitat and food source for many animal species living within the reef.

You can find algae in similar places to the seagrasses. You will find most of it on the sea floor between many of the individual coral reefs.

SOFT CORAL

Soft corals are very flexible because they do not have a skeleton. They will sway with the ocean and feel like jelly when you touch them. Soft corals have feathery tentacles.

Soft corals are often brightly coloured, especially pinks and reds.

Many animals use the soft corals to live in. Many of these animals find a coral with a similar colour to their body to camouflage in the soft coral for safety.

HARD CORAL

Hard corals act like building blocks for the Reef. Unlike soft corals, they have a skeleton to support themselves.

Hard corals have tentacles as well but theirs are very smooth.

Both hard and soft coral can be found throughout the Great Barrier Reef as it is what makes up the reef. By swimming in the Reef you are able to see the underwater rainbow that the corals create.

For more fun facts and photos

Click here

Great Barrier Reef

Nature Guide

The Great Barrier Reef is located on the North-eastern coast of Australia, off the coast of Queensland. Take a look at the map below.

The Great

Barrier Reef

Natural Features

The natural features of a place or the natural environment includes everything that occurs naturally. All living things, climate, weather and natural resources (such as water) are all part of the natural environment.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth. It is now considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and was placed on the World Heritage List in 1981 because of its natural beauty.

​

The Great Barrier Reef began to form 500,000 years ago by billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps attaching themselves to rocks.

​

Today, the Great Barrier Reef includes over 2,900 individual reefs stretching for over 2,600km. There are 600 types of soft and hard corals and thousands of sea animals living in the Great Barrier Reef.

Native Animals

The Great Barrier Reef is home to a huge amount of species, many of these are now endangered and only exist in the world here at the Great Barrier Reef. When exploring the Reef you will find fish, turtles, whales, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, birds and many more.

Keep reading below to find out more about some of these animals.

​

FISH

There are more than 1,500 species of fish living on the Great Barrier Reef. The most famous of these fish is the clown fish, you might know him as Nemo.

​

Fish on the Reef come in all varieties of sizes, colours and types. It has been said to be a scuba divers paradise with the amount of fish that can be found in such a small part of the Reef.

​

One of the most common and largest fish to be found in the Great Barrier Reef is the Wrasse. They have a very distinctive feature and that is the large lump on their forehead. Wrasse are one of the longest-living fish and can live up to 30 years old.

They can also grow up to 2 metres long. Wrasse fish are generally very friendly fish and love to meet scuba divers. Wrasse fish are actually helping protect the Great Barrier Reef as they eat the Crown of Thorn star fish that are attacking the Reef.

​

Wrasse fish can be found throughout the Great Barrier Reef. They prefer to hide in areas with lots of seaweed or sea grass.

TURTLES

There are six species of turtles that live in the Great Barrier Reef. All six of these species of turtles are unfortunately endangered.

The Green Sea turtle is the most commonly spotted turtle species of the Great Barrier Reef. They can live up to 80 years old. The Green Sea turtle can reach up to 1.3 metres long and weigh up to 130kg.

​

You can find turtles anywhere throughout the Reef. They like to swim in open areas along the edges of the Reef or the deeper sections.

SHARKS

In the Great Barrier Reef there are approximately 133 species of sharks or stingrays that live there. These range from the small carpet shark to as big as the whale shark. The most commonly seen shark on the Great Barrier Reef is the black-tip reef shark.

​

The Black-tip reef shark are easy to spot from the black tips on each fin. They can grow up to 2.4 metres long and tend to live among the reefs and not swim too deep.

​

Reef sharks are commonly found in the sandy patches within the Great Barrier Reef such as 15-25 metres deep. Make sure you look closely as some might be sleeping on the sand patches where you are standing.

​

BIRDS

The individual small reefs within the large Great Barrier Reef all support the habitat of seabirds. There are more than 200 species of birds that come to the reef or nest on the islands. The most commonly spotted is the white-bellied sea eagle.

​

The Reef provides the birds with plenty of food as the shallow, clear waters allow them to see from above and dive to catch their prey.

​

Seabirds are very easy to find at the Great Barrier Reef. They tend to fly around and land in the waters away from the boats or crowds of swimmers.

​

​

Native Plants

The Great Barrier Reef has many native plants and corals. Sea grasses and algae are two very common plants in the Great Barrier Reef. While coral can be separated into two types: soft and hard.

​

SEAGRASS

Seagrass plays an important role in the ecosystem of the reef since it is an important food source for many animals such as turtles. Seagrass is also a great habitat for laying eggs and breeding of many animal species.

Seagrass got its name by some types looking like grass we have on land. Sea grass have roots that are buried in the sand or mud and hold the grass in place and absorb nutrients to feed them.

Seagrass can be found through the Great Barrier Reef on the ocean floor. It is mainly found in the areas between the individual coral reefs.

​

ALGAE

Algae has been around for more than 2 billion years and there are more than 400 species of algae growing in the Great Barrier Reef. Although algae is called a plant, they do not have roots, stems or leaves like land plants. Seaweed is the most commonly known type of algae.

​

Algae helps to hold the coral structures of the reef together. Algae also provides a habitat and food source for many animal species living within the reef.

​

You can find algae in similar places to the seagrasses. You will find most of it on the sea floor between many of the individual coral reefs.

​

SOFT CORAL

Soft corals are very flexible because they do not have a skeleton. They will sway with the ocean and feel like jelly when you touch them. Soft corals have feathery tentacles.

Soft corals are often brightly coloured, especially pinks and reds.

​

Many animals use the soft corals to live in. Many of these animals find a coral with a similar colour to their body to camouflage in the soft coral for safety.

​

HARD CORAL

Hard corals act like building blocks for the Reef. Unlike soft corals, they have a skeleton to support themselves.

Hard corals have tentacles as well but theirs are very smooth.

​

​

​

Both hard and soft coral can be found throughout the Great Barrier Reef as it is what makes up the reef. By swimming in the Reef you are able to see the underwater rainbow that the corals create.

​

​

For more fun facts and photos