| A | B |
|---|
| Fringing Reef | The type of reef found around the edge of the mainland and continental islands. |
| Patch Reef | The type of reef found around the edge of coral cays. |
| Barrier or ribbon reef | The type of reef found at the edge of the continental shelf. |
| Lagoon | A body of calm water often found between an area of patch reef and a coral cay. |
| Coral Cay | A type of island made up of sand which made from crushed coral. |
| Continental Island | This type of island was once part of the mainland but has become an island due to the rising sea levels. |
| Whitsunday Islands | The group of islands off the coast from Proserpine. |
| Magnetic Island | The continental island off the coast of Townsville. |
| Green Island | A coral cay just off Cairns. |
| 2500 | The number of individual reefs making up the Great Barrier Reef. |
| 348 700 | The area in square kilometres of the reef. |
| 2000 | The approximate length of the reef in kilometres. |
| 900 | The approximate number of islands on the reef. |
| 400 | The number of different types of coral on the reef. |
| 24 | The width of the reef in kilometres at its narrowest point near Cape Melville. |
| 1500 | The number of different fish species on the reef. |
| 150 | The depth in metres that the water was below its present level during the last ice age. |
| 6000 | The approximate age in years of today's reefs. |
| Low, flat with limited vegetation. | Characteristics of a coral cay. |
| 20 to 30 | The range of water temperatures considered ideal for coral growth. |
| Mean tide height | The height to which most corals grow. |
| clean, clear, calm water | The conditions needed for coral growth. |
| coral polyp | The animal part of a coral. |
| tentacles | The coral can feed by sending out this part of its body to catch microscopic floating organisms. |
| zooxanthellae | The tiny plant cells of reef building corals. |
| spawning | Part of the coral reproduction process. |
| hard coral | Corals which form hard skeletons by depositing layers of calcium around their bodies. |
| Soft coral | Gorgonian corals are this type of coral. |
| Zooplankton | Another name for microscopic floating animals. |
| Plate coral | A form of hard coral. |
