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Article: Australia's Great Barrier REEF.
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- September 4, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Coral reefs are the "rainforests of the sea"--the second richest ecosystem, or interdependent environment, on Earth after tropical forests. Reefs are made up of billions of tiny animals called coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeast coast is the world's longest coral reef chain and the largest single structure ever created by living creatures--so huge it's visible from space. Yet the Great Reef remains largely unexplored by marine biologists, scientists who study sea life.
Like all reefs, it provides food, shelter, and protection for thousands of ocean plants and Animals. But coral reefs are in grave peril, explains David Gilliam, a ...