At a length of 1,550 miles (2,500 km) along the northeastern coast of Australia, with more than 400 types of coral, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral formation in the world. This rich, silent sanctuary of submarine life was declared a marine park in 1979 (comprising 15 percent of the world’s protected sea surface) and a UNESCO world heritage site in 1981. The Great Barrier Reef harbors more than 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 mollusks, as well as such animals as the endangered dugong (sea cow) and six of the seven species of sea turtle. Coral formations, the world’s only relief that is biological in nature, are polyps that live symbiotically with photosensitive algae, zooxanthellae, which contribute to the development of the calcareous skeletons of their hosts. The coral reefs are essential to the protection of the coasts and of ocean fauna. They are sensitive to the smallest increase in water temperature, which can cause them to whiten. This phenomenon, which wa

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