53 HEADLINE Who’s Minding the Planet? OCEAN & COASTAL WATERS Australia The Great Barrier Reef Coral Sea LUKE GIROUX To understand the scope and magnitude of the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern shores of Queensland, Australia, one needs to imagine a delicate ecosystem made up of billions of microorganisms that stretches more than 1,400 miles (2,253 kilometers) – approximately the entire length of the western coast of the United States, from Seattle to San Diego. The Great Barrier Reef is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world, alongside the likes of Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon, and it is the largest coral reef system on earth. Fabricated of billions of microscopic coral polyps of over 400 different types of coral, the Great Barrier Reef is comprised of 3,000 individual reefs and features nearly 1,000 islands. As the largest living organism in the world, the Reef is home to over 1,500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, nearly two dozen types of reptiles, and it’s the breeding grounds for humpback whales migrating from the Antarctic. It’s also home to numerous endangered species, including the Sea Cow (Dugong) and the large Green Sea Turtle.