Differences between the Marine Park and the World Heritage Area

In terms of marine protected areas, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area remain the best known globally and the most comprehensively managed. 

Size (km2)
 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
 Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Landward (inner) boundary
 Low water mark, but excludes internal waters and various small exclusion areas (eg.ports)
 Low water mark on the mainland
Islands
 Includes only 70 Commonwealth Islands
 Includes all 1050 islands (including Commonwealth islands)
Tidal waters/tidal lands
 Not included along the coast and around Queensland-owned islands
 Included where they occur around islands
Date declared
 Progressively declared since 1975
 1981

Today nearly 99% of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is within the multiple-use Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The remaining section falls under Queensland Government jurisdiction – this amounts to 3,600 km2 and includes most islands, ports and other internal state waters.

The Great Barrier Reef on a global perspective


Largest marine protected areas:

Marine Protected Area
 Country
 Area (km2)
Cook Islands Marine Park
 Cook Islands
 1,065,000
Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve
 Australia
 989,842
Kermadec Benthic Protection Area
 New Zealand
 620,467
Chagos Environment Preservation and Protection Zone
 British Indian Ocean Territory
 544,000
Phoenix Islands Protected Area
 Kiribati
 408,250
Papahānaumokuākea (North-western Hawaiian Islands)  
 United States
 362,075
Great Barrier Reef
 Australia
 348,000

Largest World Heritage areas:

World Heritage Area
 Country
 Area (km2)
Phoenix Islands Protected Area
 Kiribati
 408,250
Papahānaumokuākea (North-western Hawaiian Islands)      
 United States
 362,075
Great Barrier Reef
 Australia
 348,000


 

 

 

Bookmark and Share

Have your say