Book excerpt: As the largest coral reef system on the globe and home to 1,500 species of fish and other diverse marine life, Australia's Great Barrier reef is unquestionably one of the great wonders of the natural world. Unfortunately, it is also in grave danger of dying. Recent annual back-to-back coral bleaching events have drastically accelerated the already existing damage to the Great Barrier Reef and its rich biodiversity. The reef is under threat from numerous other pressures, both natural and man-made. These threats include over-fishing, coastal development, agriculture, mining, tourism, and the ravaging ecological impacts of climate change. How is Australia sustainably managing the reef and the land-based and sea life it supports? What conservation threats are being effectively addressed, before it is too late to save the Great Barrier Reef?