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 The great barrier reef is the largest coral reef on earth. It's also the only natural structure visible from space.  All reefs are formed by the skeletons of millions of microscopic creatures called polyps. It was discovered by captain james cook in 1768. there are about 3000 reefs and 900 islands. The reef supports over 1,500 species of fish! one of them, the red bass, can live for 50 years! Experts estimate that the reef was formed 18 million years ago. Adding to the glory of this natural wonder of the world, is the fact that it's larger than the great wall of china!  It's  also a breeding ground for humpback whales. And the coral is beautiful.
 

 this is a picture of  coral spawning. the white dots are the baby polyps and the blue is the coral. when a polyp dies, a new polyp plants itself on top of the dead polyp. and thus, the coral reef grows.

Like I said, beautiful! Because of it's beauty, it's become one of the most sought after trips in the world. There are about 400 species of coral in the reef.