THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Off the northeast coast of Australia, sparkling ocean waves crash on
coral reefs. These reefs, lying just above or below the water, look like
piles of stones. But the stones are alive with bright colors that seem
to change the reef into gardens splashed with orange, yellow, green, and
purple.
There are many beautiful coral reefs in the world, but the one off the
coast of Australia is the biggest. It stretches for about 1,250 miles
(2,000 kilometers). It is known as the Great Barrier Reef. A barrier
[(bar]{.smallcaps} ee uhr) reef stands between the shore and the waves
of the open sea. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural
wonders of the world. Every year,
thousands of people go to the national parks and other vacation places
on the coral islands that are part of the reef.
The brilliant colors of a coral reef come from millions of tiny sea
animals called polyps [(paiil]{.smallcaps} ihps). As the polyps grow,
they build limestone “skeletons. It is these limestone, or coral,
skeletons that form the coral reef. As new polyps grow, the coral reef
becomes larger and larger.
In recent years, large numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish have been
eating the coral polyps. They have destroyed large areas that would have
become new reef. The Australian government has taken steps to control
these starfish and feels that the Great Barrier Reef is in no danger
from them.
