Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981.
UNESCO recognized the reef for its outstanding natural beauty, exceptional biodiversity, and importance to Earth’s geological and ecological history. The listed area covers the Great Barrier Reef region along Queensland’s coast, rather than only the visible coral formations.
The reef was among the early natural places recognized under the World Heritage Convention. World Heritage status does not make the reef a separate country or automatically ban all human activity; Australian laws and management plans regulate fishing, tourism, shipping, and other uses.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established earlier, in 1975. That park and the World Heritage listing are related but different protections: one is an Australian management framework, while the other is an international heritage designation.