The Great Barrier Reef Is the Largest Living Structure on Earth
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth, stretching for 1,429 miles over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles.
It is the Great Barrier Reef. NOAA says it stretches 1,429 miles, covers about 133,000 square miles and is large enough to be visible from space.
Explanation
A coral reef is built by living animals, which is why a reef can be described as a living structure. NOAA’s National Ocean Service states that the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth. According to NOAA, it stretches for 1,429 miles over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles. It is not a single unbroken wall of coral. NOAA describes it as made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs. Taken together they form a system so extensive that, in NOAA’s words, it is large enough to be visible from space. The size figures are given as approximate, because the edge of a reef system is not a sharp line.
Source and verification
- Source
- NOAA National Ocean Service Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry