The World Heritage Site
Great Barrier Reef
Important facts
The size of the GBR is so big, you can see it from outer space as being the world's largest single structure made by living organisms. It covers approx. the same area as Germany.
The GBR covers an area of about 348,700 km² with 60 to 250 km in width and 2,300 km from the northern tip of Queensland to just north of Bundaberg in length. Its average depth is 35 m in waters close to shore, while on the outer reef it goes down up to 2,000 m.
The GBR makes up one third of the world's corals with around 3,000 coral reefs. There are over 900 islands in the GBR region.
At the Reef, you can find nearly 5,000 marine and mammal species. It is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, 215 bird species, 3,000 species of molluscs, six of the world's seven species of marine turtles, 30 species of whales and dolphins, and so much more.
World Heritage Site Great Barrier Reef
Since 1981, the GBR is designated as a World Heritage Site due to its uniqueness and high importance for thousands of marine flora and fauna. The GBR is recognised as one of the best managed coral reef systems through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) since 1975. The management is guided by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, using the best available science to protect the outstanding value of the Reef, to regulate and reduce human activities and other threats, and to improve conservation and monitoring actions (GBRMPA, 2023).
© Photo is property of Sharlene Fechter.
Impacts of climate change
Climate change is one of the most serious threats to the GBR ecosystems because it leads to mass coral bleaching. Coral reefs are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems because of their low adaptive capacity and high vulnerability due to thermal stress (IPCC, 2023). The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has been monitoring mass bleaching events at the GBR since 1980. Most currently, in March 2024, AIMS confirmed the 5. mass bleaching event on the GBR. Observation reports give evidence that this time, climate change has led to one of the most extensive and serious bleaching events on the Reef (AIMS, 2024).
© Photo is property of Sharlene Fechter.
People & the Great Barrier Reef
The GBR plays not only a vital role for marine species, but also in the lives and the identities of Australian people. Australians have a deep and strong connection with the GBR because for them it is one of the most inspiring and most personally significant Australian icons. Some research studies show that Australians express significant grief and feel angry about the degrading state of the Reef due to climate change-related events.
© Photo is property of Sharlene Fechter.
The project
Here you can find details of the project, the time schedule and organisation, and of participation possibilities.
About the locations
Here you can find description of the locations Wadden Sea and Great Barrier Reef and important facts of the regions.
Climate change
Here you can find some information about climate change, sustainability and what you can do on small-scale.
About me
Who am I? Where am I from? How did I get here? And where do I want to go? All about the PhD student and her plans.
Participation information for Workshop Great Barrier Reef
Here you can find all relevant information and data about the workshop at the Great Barrier Reef.
Photos
Here you can find all the beauty of the Wadden Sea and the Great Barrier Reef captured in photographs. And some more expressions of the project, the workshops and much more.
PhD project by Sharlene Fechter at the University of Queensland.
Photos © Sharlene Fechter