4,000 species of mollusks and, yes, an abundance of corals. But big does not mean indestructible. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which has jurisdiction over much of the reef ...

It hosts 5,000 types of mollusks, 1,800 species of fish ... Time and tides and a planet in eternal flux brought the Great Barrier Reef into being millions of years ago, wore it down, and grew ...

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest and most diverse reef ecosystem and is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusks, according to UNESCO.

In 2016 and 2017, marine heat waves caused by climate change resulted in mass bleaching, which killed about half of the corals on the Great Barrier Reef, along with many others around the world.

Coral reefs provide an important ecosystem for marine life, offering food and shelter among their crevices and branches for animals including fishes, molluscs ... biggest and best-known are the reef ...