What sea is the Great Barrier Reef located in?

The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia.

The Coral Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean. It stretches along Australia’s northeastern coast and includes numerous reefs, islands, and deep ocean basins. The Great Barrier Reef lies on the continental shelf within its western part, although the reef itself is administered as part of Queensland and Australia’s marine-protection system.

The reef is not in the Indian Ocean or the open Pacific Ocean, two common mix-ups. Geographically, the Coral Sea is part of the wider Pacific, but “Coral Sea” is the specific named sea that contains the Great Barrier Reef. The sea received its name from the extensive coral formations associated with the reef system.

The Great Barrier Reef extends for about 2,300 kilometres and includes roughly 2,900 individual reefs and hundreds of islands. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.