从上方俯瞰大堡礁, 昆士兰州, 澳大利亚 Great Barrier Reef from above, Queensland, Australia (© Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images)

水下建筑 Underwater architecture

从上方俯瞰大堡礁, 昆士兰州, 澳大利亚

世界最伟大的自然奇观之一，绵延在澳大利亚东北海岸线外的珊瑚海碧绿海水中。大堡礁沿着昆士兰海岸延伸，是世界上最大的珊瑚礁系统。它由近3000个独立的珊瑚礁和数百个岛屿组成，绵延超过1400英里。

这片非凡的海洋景观孕育着极其丰富的生物多样性，包括数百种珊瑚、超过1600种鱼类，以及海龟、鳐鱼、海鸟和礁鲨。其浅水泻湖、珊瑚礁岛和较深的外礁交错分布，构成了一幅地球上其他任何地方都无法比拟的壮丽景观。

作为联合国教科文组织世界遗产，这片珊瑚礁不仅因其规模和美景而备受珍视，更因其重要的生态意义以及与澳大利亚原住民深厚的文化联系而熠熠生辉。如今，研究人员、社区和政府携手合作，共同保护这片脆弱的生态系统，致力于为子孙后代守护珊瑚礁复杂的生态格局和生机勃勃的海洋生物。

Great Barrier Reef from above, Queensland, Australia

One of the world's greatest natural wonders stretches through the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast shoreline. The Great Barrier Reef, running along the coast of Queensland, is the world's largest coral reef system. It is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, spanning more than 1,400 miles.

This remarkable marine landscape supports extraordinary biodiversity, including hundreds of coral species, more than 1,600 kinds of fish, as well as sea turtles, rays, seabirds, and reef sharks. Its shallow lagoons, coral cays, and deeper outer reefs create a mosaic found nowhere else on Earth.

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the reef is valued not only for its size and beauty, but also for its ecological importance and deep cultural connections to Australia's First Nations peoples. Today, researchers, communities, and governments work together to protect this fragile ecosystem, helping preserve the reef's complex patterns and vibrant marine life for the future.

大堡礁的航拍图，澳大利亚 Aerial image of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (© AirPano LLC/Amazing Aerial Agency)

一望无际的湛蓝 Blue as far as the eye can see

大堡礁，澳大利亚

澳大利亚的大堡礁是世界上最大的珊瑚礁，沿澳大利亚海岸蔓延1430英里。许多海洋生物生活在这个珊瑚礁生态系统中，包括鲸鱼、海豚、海龟以及1500多种鱼类。遗憾的是，这处世界自然遗产正受到气候变化、污染和过度捕捞的威胁。每年的六月一日是世界珊瑚礁日，旨在让人们意识到海洋珊瑚礁系统的脆弱性和重要性，提醒我们每一个人、每一个组织和企业保护这些宝藏、维持自然的平衡。

World Reef Awareness Day

The Great Barrier Reef runs for 1,430 miles along Australia's northeastern coast, providing a home for thousands of species, including more than 1,500 types of fish. Here, you'll find whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks, dugongs, and algae, all living together in a delicate ecosystem that relies on the coral reef. Sadly, climate change and pollution threaten this iconic site, the largest reef in the world. On June 1, we observe World Reef Awareness Day to remind people of the importance of safeguarding coral reefs, which provide food and shelter for about 25% of all marine life, to maintain the balance of nature.

属于大堡礁的一部分的心形礁，澳大利亚昆士兰 Heart Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, Australia (© Peter Adams/Offset by Shutterstock)

Didgeridoo you know what day it is?

If this aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef is a reminder that you ❤ everything Australia, today's your day. Australia Day commemorates January 26, 1788, when the first transplants from England said g'day to Australian shores, but you can just call it a day to celebrate all things Aussie. From the Barrier Reef to the rugged bush to the dry Outback, we invite you to join the diverse people of Oz in celebrating their island nation (well, we can almost join the Aussies—it's tomorrow for them already, so they celebrated yesterday).

Meanwhile, we presume you find yourself stuck in a Northern Hemisphere winter—so why not scroll Down Under and try our Australia Day quiz?

你知道今天是什么日子吗？

如果这张大堡礁的鸟瞰图提醒你❤ 澳大利亚的一切，今天是你的日子。澳大利亚日是为了纪念1788年1月26日，当时第一批从英国移植过来的人在澳大利亚的海岸上称为“国庆日”，但你可以称之为庆祝澳大利亚一切的日子。从大堡礁到崎岖的灌木丛，再到干旱的内陆，我们邀请你加入奥兹的不同民族庆祝他们的岛国（好吧，我们几乎可以加入澳大利亚人的行列，他们已经是明天了，所以他们昨天庆祝了）。

同时，我们假设你发现自己被困在北半球的冬天，那么为什么不向下滚动，试试我们的澳大利亚日测验呢？

大堡礁，澳大利亚昆士兰 Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia (© AWL Images/Danita Delimont)

The largest living organism on Earth

Today marks the second ever World Reef Day, an observance created to help focus global attention on the deteriorating health of on our planet's vital reef systems, and also to help marshal efforts to help them recover. Why should you care about the health of ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef, seen in this photo? Because reefs are an easy indicator of how healthy our oceans are. And right now, reefs aren’t doing too well. What can you do? Learn about reefs—not just the dangers that put healthy reefs at risk, but why reefs are such a critical part of Earth's greater ecosystems.

Dr. Sylvia Earle explores the Great Barrier Reef in a scene from 'Mission Blue' (© Bryce Groark/AP Photo/Netflix)

Celebrating women in science

For the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we're visiting the Great Barrier Reef with oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle. This photo is from the 2014 documentary film 'Mission Blue,' which follows Earle, a legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. The film focuses on Earle's campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. Sometimes called Her Deepness, Earle has made immense contributions to science over her career. From leading groundbreaking research in deep ocean science to becoming the first female chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earle is recognized as one of the world's preeminent oceanographers.

More recently, she started Mission Blue, an organization that promotes exploration and protection of the world's oceans. With women accounting for a disproportionately low percentage of the world's science researchers, we hope Earle can inspire girls and women alike to investigate, experiment, and leave their mark on the world of science.