Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest natural wonder (not including the auroras). It also happens to be the most fragile. The 2,000 kilometer reef (72 kilometers across at its widest point), which is located along the east coast of Queensland in Australia, is made up of skeletons of generations of polyps. The Great Barrier Reef covers 344,000 square kilometers (137,600 square miles), and at times is only 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the shore. The reef is made up of 2,900 individual reefs that are close together. The most common coral growing at the reefs is Staghorn. Facts: -The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism visible from space. -It's greater in area than the United Kingdom. -It's longer than the west coast of the United States. -Over 1,500 different species of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef. Natural Wonders >> Ancient Wonders >>