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The Great Barrier Reef is to Australia what rolling savannahs and game parks are to Africa, and is equally subject to the corniest of representations. "Another world" is the commonest cliche, which, while being completely true, doesn't begin to describe the feeling of donning mask and fins and coming face to face with extraordinary animals, shapes and colours. There's so little relationship to life above the surface that distinctions normally taken for granted - such as that between animal, plant and plain rock - seem blurred, while the respective roles of observer and observed are constantly challenged by shoals of curious fish following you about. Beginning with Lady Elliot Island, out from Bundaberg, and extending 2300km north to New Guinea, the Barrier Reef follows the outer edge of Australia's continental plate, running closer to land as it moves north: while it's 300km to the main body from Gladstone, Cairns is barely 50km distant from the reef. Far from being a continuous, unified structure, the nature of the reef also changes along its length: cays (low sand islands) are a particular feature of the southern reef; the middle sections comprise intricate mazes of alternately packed and scattered coral formations; continental islands everywhere become ringed by fringing reefs ; and northern sections form long ribbons . All of it, however, was built by one animal: the tiny coral polyp . Simple organisms, related to sea anemones, polyps huddle together like building blocks into modular colonies - corals - which form the framework of the reef's ecology by providing food, shelter and hunting grounds for larger, more mobile species. Around their walls and canyons flow a bewildering assortment of creatures: large rays and turtles "fly" effortlessly by, fish dodge between caves and coral branches, snails sift the sand for edibles, and brightly coloured nudibranchs dance above rocks. The reef is administered by the Marine Parks Authority , which battles against - or at least gauges - the effects of overfishing, pollution and tourism. Underfunding, and the lengthy study time required to find long-term solutions for the reef's protection, mean that little has been achieved. The most obvious signs of damage at popular locations - broken and dead coral - are due to the volume of visitors, caused by people bumping against outcrops. A popular villain, the polyp-eating crown of thorns starfish , also causes severe destruction during cyclic plagues. Don't let this put you off going - damage is restricted to only a handful of sites, and overall the reef is still healthy. But it's clear that the reef needs to be treated with respect if it is to retain its natural wonder. In order to minimize damage, visitors should take care not to stand on shallow reefs when snorkelling, and always avoid touching coral; even if you don't break off branches, you'll certainly crush the delicate polyps.
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