It's home to 60 types of coral, more than 500 fish species, endangered sea turtles, and "the world's largest congregation of whale sharks." Reefs also attract millions of tourists every year.

Credit: US Geological Survey Scientists in Australia have observed unprecedented coral bleaching across the world's largest reef system. In a new study, they track the rapid rate at which coral ...

Covering nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals.