How large is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, in square kilometres?

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park covers 344,400 square kilometres.

The park stretches along most of Queensland’s northeastern coast and protects the marine areas surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. Its immense size makes it one of the world’s largest protected areas.

The Marine Park is not the same thing as the reef itself. It includes coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, deep ocean areas and many islands. Different zones permit different activities, including tourism, fishing and research.

The figure is often confused with the reef’s north-to-south length, which is about 2,300 kilometres. Area statistics also vary slightly between sources when they refer to the World Heritage Area, the Marine Park or the reef ecosystem rather than the legally defined park.