The Great Barrier Reef, found in the Coral Sea off the north-east coast of Australia, is one of the world's largest protected marine reserves. As the state icon of Queensland, this reef shines as the largest structure built by tiny and amazing Coral Polyps.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space, and since be awarded a 'World Heritage Site' listing in 1981, tourism surrounding the reef has generated upwards of $1 Billion a year.
Composed of 2,999 unique reefs, and 900 islands spread over 2,600 Kilometers, a countless amount of wildlife call the reef home.
Some threats to the reef are over-fishing, coral bleaching, and outbreaks of Crown of thorns starfish. Climate change is also a formidable cause for concern.
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Whales of Tonga
Review of commercial humpback whale watching activities in the South Pacific
Aline SCHAFFAR and Claire GARRIGUE
Whales in the South Pacific
Whales have long formed part of the stories and traditions of Pacific island peoples. The movements and migrations of whales have many parallels with the voyaging of people.
During the last century, however, the great whales of the South Pacific were hunted to the brink of extinction. Today their numbers are recovering only slowly, if at all, and for some species the chances of ever returning to their former abundance are slight...
Preliminary Report for the Pacific Islands Forum October 2007