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The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) along the north-east coast of Australia is the world's most extensive coral reef ecosystem and includes around 10 per cent of all the world's coral reefs. As one of the richest and most complex ecosystems on Earth, it is a significant global resource.

The GBR's outstanding universal value was recognized in 1981 when an area of 348,000 km was inscribed on the World Heritage List, meeting all four ‘natural’ criteria which at that time were:

1. (i) outstanding examples representing the major stages of the Earth's evolutionary history;

2. (ii) outstanding examples representing significant ongoing geological processes, biological evolution and man's interaction with his natural environment;

3. (iii) unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena, formations or features or areas of exceptional natural beauty, such as superlative examples of the most important ecosystems to man;

4. (iv) habitats where populations of rare or endangered species of plants and animals still survive.

Today the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) still exhibits its remarkable biodiversity, including shallow inshore fringing reefs and mangroves, continental islands, coral cays, seagrass beds, mid-shelf reefs and exposed outer reefs, and extends out to deep oceanic waters more than 250 km offshore.

Within the boundary of the GBRWHA are:

• the GBR Marine Park – the Federal Marine Park comprises just under 99 per cent of the World Heritage Area. The GBR Marine Park's jurisdiction ends at low water mark along the mainland coast (with the exception of port areas) and around islands (with the exception of seventy Commonwealth-owned islands which are part of the Marine Park);

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