HOPE ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

The Great Barrier Reef glitters in the sunlight, forming a broken chain along Australia’s northeastern coast. Underwater, sightseeing scuba divers encounter thousands of fish flitting through anemones and coral branches. They spot seahorses hiding on coral fans. Snails and crabs peek out of small crevices as turtles chomp off chunks of coral while looking for food.

This diversity makes the Great Barrier Reef one of the richest habitats on the planet and a UNESCO World Heritage Site—a place with special features that has been designated as protected. With a length of 1,430 miles (2,300 km), the reef is longer than the country of Italy and the largest living structure on Earth. This reef supports more than 9,000 living things, including some 400 species of coral.