The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system made up of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands covering an

area of about 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi) over 2,300 kilometers (1,400 mi).The reef is located in coral. The sea off the coast

of Queensland, Australia, is separated from the coast by a channel 100 miles wide and over 200 feet deep. The Great Barrier Reef can

be seen from outer space and is the largest single structure in the world created by living organisms. This rock formation is made up of

billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps. It supports a wide variety of life forms and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981

CNN named it one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997. The Australian World Heritage Sites added it to their list in 2007.

Named the Queensland National Trust, it is the state emblem of Queensland in 2006. A large portion of the

reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps limit the impact of human use such as fishing and tourism.

Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breedturtles green sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, hawksbill , loggerhead sea turtles,

flatback turtles and Olive Ridley. There are two genetically distinct populations of green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef,