The Great Southern ReefGreat Southern Reef Foundation
The Great Southern Reef
Great Southern Reef Map (January 2024) by Great Southern Reef FoundationGreat Southern Reef Foundation
What is it?
The Great Southern Reef (GSR) is an interconnected system of temperate reefs spanning over 8,000 km around Australia's southern coastline, from Kalbarri in Western Australia to the NSW/Queensland border.
The GSR extends offshore to encompass all reef habitats between the upper intertidal zone and edge of the continental shelf covering a total area of over 631,000 km2 across 17º of latitude and 14º of longitude.
What does a temperate reef look like?
In shallow waters, reef habitats are characterized by kelp forests and seaweed dominated assemblages as well as adjoining seagrass meadows and oyster reefs.
In deeper waters, typically below 30m, sessile invertebrates such as sponges and gorgonians dominate reef habitats.
Seaweeds, TAS by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
Reef habitats of the Great Southern Reef have some of the highest diversity on earth, for groups such as seaweeds, sponges, ascidians and bryozoans and seagrasses.
Leafy Seadragon by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
Among the thousands of species found within these reef habitats, up to 80% of species are endemic to the Great Southern Reef, meaning they are not found anywhere else on earth.
Research Diver on SCUBA by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
Who is connected to the GSR?
Coastal areas of the Great Southern Reef lie adjacent to two thirds of Australia’s population, approximately 17 million people who live along its shores.
Coastline Aerial by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
Offshore areas of the Great Southern Reef include palaeo-shorelines, where Indigenous Australians lived and utilised the reef for thousands of years during periods of lower sea levels.
Story of the Great Southern Reef, Australia's underwater forests.Great Southern Reef Foundation
To keep up to date with the latest GSR information and initiatives, visit our website and sign up for our newsletter. Our Educator Hub also offers teachers and students downloadable lesson plans to use in the classroom.
Imagery by Stefan Andrews.
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