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 |