Where is the Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef rests in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Roughly the size of Germany, Italy, Japan and Malaysia, the expansive reef stretches at least 1,400 miles and contains more than 900 islands.

Recognized by CNN as one of the "seven natural wonders of the world," the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system. Comprised of about 3,000 coral reefs, at least 600 types of soft and hard corals are found within the structure. More than 1,500 fish species can be found along the reef. This represents about 10 percent of all fish species in the world.