What is the name of the largest living structure on Earth that suffered major coral bleaching in 2016?

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and suffered major coral bleaching in 2016.

Located in the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia, the reef is not one continuous wall. It is a vast interconnected system containing roughly 2,900 individual reefs and hundreds of islands and cays, stretching for about 2,300 kilometres. Its immense scale makes it visible from space and has made it one of the world’s best-known natural landmarks.

In 2016, unusually warm seawater caused severe mass bleaching, especially in the northern section. Corals bleach when heat stress causes them to expel the microscopic algae that provide much of their colour and energy. Bleached coral can recover if conditions improve, but prolonged heat can kill it. Surveys later found substantial coral mortality, making the event one of the most damaging recorded on the reef.

The reef is sometimes confused with a single coral formation or with other major reefs such as Belize’s. It is also a World Heritage Site, listed by UNESCO in 1981. Coral bleaching does not mean every coral dies immediately, but it signals serious ecological stress.