![]() Stretching 1,800 miles along the Queensland coast, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple-use protected area encompassing a huge range of habitats, including not only its famous coral reefs but also seagrass, mangroves, sand and sponge gardens in shallow inshore areas, and the deep-water habitats of the adjacent continental shelf. In an effort to safeguard this unique region from human pressures, in 1975 the Australian government enacted the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act, 4 creating the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to “provide for the protection, wise use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef in perpetuity through the care and development of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.” 5 ![]() 3 It’s not for nothing that this kaleidoscope of biodiversity is known as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. 2 These habitats are home to more than 1,600 species of fish, 215 species of birds, six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle, 30 species of whales and dolphins, 133 species of sharks and rays, and one of the world’s most important populations of dugong, as well as a range of smaller but no less ecologically important species, like mollusks (3,000 species of them), sponges, marine algae, soft coral and various echinoderms, including starfish and sea urchins. Its 70 distinct bioregions contain more than 2,900 individual coral reefs – including more than 450 species of hard coral – upwards of 700 square miles of mangroves and 2,000 square miles of seagrass beds. Spanning almost 133,000 square miles of ocean off the northeast coast of Australia, this vast natural wonder is home to thousands of different species, including threatened, rare and endangered ones. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure and one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems on the planet. The fact that portions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park have had these protections in place for several decades enables us to see very clearly how they enhance the health of coral reef ecosystems, support healthy fish populations both within and outside their own boundaries, and help marine ecosystems withstand and rebound from disturbances. The regulations governing human activity on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are some of the most stringent and well-established of all of the world’s coral reefs. After decades of protections, the world’s most famous coral reef shows the long-term benefits of marine protected areas for safeguarding biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
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