The health of the largest ecosystem on Earth is in danger. On Wednesday, UNESCO World Heritage delegates will announce whether they will place the Great Barrier Reef on a list of endangered World Heritage sites—a move the Australian government wishes to avoid. The 1,200-mile-long reef brings in billions of tourism dollars every year. Continued concerns about coastal development, particularly coal mining in Queensland, have renewed efforts to protect the reef. Some coral has been badly damaged and animal species, including dugong and large green turtles, are being threatened. According to Greenpeace, 50 percent of the reef's coral cover has been lost in the last 30 years. Reuters photographer David Gray flew to Lady Elliot Island on the southern end of the reef, capturing the following images of the tiny coral cay and surrounding shallow waters recently visited by UNESCO World Heritage delegates.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef at Risk
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Read moreTourists stand in front of huts that form part of the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort where a turtle digs for food among the coral in the island's lagoon, northeast of the town of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, on June 9, 2015. UNESCO World Heritage delegates recently snorkeled on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to check the health of the world's largest living ecosystem, which brings in billions of dollars a year in tourism. #
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Read moreHomes can be seen along a creek and inlet in the coastal town of Hervey Bay, north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, on June 9, 2015. #
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Read moreStorm clouds above a coal ship as it sails near Lady Elliot Island located northeast of the town of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, on June 9, 2015. #
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Read moreAn aerial view of Lady Elliot Island on the southern end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, on June 11, 2015. #
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Read moreSmall bushes grow on a coral beach on Lady Elliot Island on June 9, 2015. #
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Read moreDried coral and shells lie on a beach on Lady Elliot Island on June 10, 2015. #
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Read moreTourists walk from a boat after diving in an area called the 'Coral Gardens' located at Lady Elliot Island on June 9, 2015. #
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Read moreA boat carrying tourists floats above an area called the 'Coral Gardens' near Lady Elliot Island. on June 10, 2015. #
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Read moreTourists look through a glass window in the bottom of a boat as it floats above the 'Coral Gardens' off Lady Elliot Island, on June 10, 2015. #
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Read morePeter Gash, owner and manager of the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, snorkels during an inspection of the reef's condition in the 'Coral Gardens' on June 11, 2015. Gash snorkels every morning before he attends to managing duties on the island, and was this morning showing the Great Barrier Reef rangers the current condition of the reef. #
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Read moreTourists snorkel near a turtle as it looks for food among the coral in the lagoon at Lady Elliot Island on June 9, 2015. #
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Read moreA reef shell lies on a beach as the sun sets on Lady Elliot Island on June 10, 2015. #
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Read moreA tourist snorkels in the 'Coral Gardens' off Lady Elliot Island on June 10, 2015. #
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Read moreThe Milky Way is seen in the sky above a path and huts on Lady Elliot Island on June 10, 2015. #
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Read moreA tourist snorkels in the lagoon off Lady Elliot Island, north-east of the town of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, on June 9, 2015. The lagoon, which is occupied by turtles during high tide, is only accessible for snorkeling during this time. #
David Gray / Reuters
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