The Great BARRIER REEF
(Class 2A - L.S. "Da Vinci", Canicattini Bagni, Siracusa)

The Great Barrier Reef is about 348,700 square kilometers in area and approximately 2300 km long, running from north of Bundaberg to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. It contains about 3000 reefs which includes 760 fringing reefs ad 300 CORAL cays

The Great Barrier Reef’s ecosystem also supports 1,500 species of fish, 400 species of corals, 4000 specie of molluscs,500 species of sea weed,15 species of birds, 16 species of sea snake, 6 species of sea turtle and it is the most populated zone by dugong in the world.
Tourism is a major activity in the Great Barrier Reef, and it contributes in excess of $1 billion annually to the Australian economy.
Mining is banned ,while fishing and shipping, that under the previous regime were damaging part of the Reef , if developed, could bring in revenue.
Today the Reef remains in good conditions, although runoff of injurious substances from agriculture, urban and industrial areas.
Nowadays all the tourist activities use their business also to conserve entire ecosystems.