On a June evening in 1770, British explorer Captain James Cook heard the irritating squeak of wood against stone. Little did he know he had just discovered the Great Barrier Reef! Off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea, the GBR is the largest coral reef system in the world, it can even be seen from space! This is approximately 35 million hectares, which is equivalent to approximately 70 million football pitches. The GBR is home to an extremely diverse range of marine life, from mollusks and fish to marine and coastal birds. Attracting around 2 million people a year, the GBR generates A$4-5 billion a year. A coral reef forms underwater when thousands of tiny animals, called polyps, establish a colony. How did this series of coral reefs become the Great Barrier Reef? “On a June evening in 1770, Captain James Cook heard the squeal of wood against stone” (ngm.nationalgeographic.com). He later realized that he had just discovered the Great Barrier Reef. Cook and his team were exploring the waters off what is now Queensland, Australia, when HMS Endeavor became trapped in the coral maze. Not too far below the surface, rough, sharp coral towers tore through the ship's structure and held it tightly (ngm.nationalgeographic.com). As the girders splintered and the sea poured in, the crew came on deck "with faces sufficiently expressing the horrors of our situation," Cook later wrote in his journal. The captain and crew barely made it to the mouth of the river where they rehabilitated the vessel. A few decades after Cook's encounter with the reef, the English cartographer Matthew Flinders, who also had an accident or two while "threading the needle" between the reefs, gave the enormous body its name, inspired by his dimensions.The Great Barrie... ... middle of sheet ......n." Facts and information about the Great Barrier Reef. Np, nd Web. 28 January 2014. "Facts about the Great Barrier Reef for children - Pictures and information." Great Barrier Reef Facts for Kids: Pictures and Information. Np, nd Web. January 28, 2014. "Seven Natural Wonders: The Great Barrier Reef." , JEN A coral reef through time: The Great Barrier Reef from beginning to end. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2008. Print."Working together today for a healthier reef tomorrow..." Facts about the Great Barrier Reef.Np, 2 Web. 2014. .