1. 400
   600
2. 800

There are about 600 islands in the Great Barrier Reef, along the northeast coast of Australia.

1. Captain James Cook
   Captain William Bligh
2. Matthew Flinders

Captain James Cook crashed his sailing ship into the reef in 1770 and thus "discovered" it.

1. spectacular coral reefs
   magnificent whale populations
2. fantastic shipwreck artifacts

It contains thousands of spectacular coral reefs.

1. dormant volcanoes
   the island of Atlantis
2. older reefs

It is growing on top of older reefs believed to be hundreds of thousands of years old.

1. coral ecosystems
   a wide, deep lagoon
2. tiny islands

A barrier reef (one of several types of reef) is separated from land by a wide, deep lagoon.

1. ribbon
   patch
2. fringing

Fringing reefs are similar to barrier reefs in this respect. They both lie parallel to coastline.

1. algae
   underwater hills
2. shallow breakwaters

They often grow on top of underwater hills in oval-shaped manner.

1. Cairns/Central
   Far Northern
2. Mackay/Capricorn

They're in great abundance in the northernmost area, called Far Northern.

1. because the low temperature is unsuited to coral growth
   because there is too much water pollution in these areas
2. because it keeps getting eaten away by predatory schools of fish

The further south you go, the cooler the temperature gets and this is unsuited for coral growth.

1. narrows
   mangroves
2. cays

They're called cays and they support a variety of plant communities.

1. shrimp
   whale or dolphin
2. mollusk

There are about 250 types of shrimp and 30 species of whales and dolphins, so the answer has to be mollusks. That's right, there are 4,000 types of mollusks in the reef.

1. up to 2 feet (0.6 meters)
   up to 4 feet (1.2 meters)
2. up to 8 feet (2.4 meters)

They can reach up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length and weigh more than 440 pounds (200 kilos).

1. Yes, even 20 times more poisonous.
   No, land snakes are more poisonous.
2. Yes, they can be four times as poisonous.

Yes, this is true. Some sea snakes have venom 20 times more poisonous than that of the most poisonous land snakes.

1. the manatee
   the blue-ringed octopus
2. the crown-of-thorns starfish

The crown-of-thorns starfish is one of the biggest threats, having already decimated the coral colonies twice in the last 50 years.

1. 10 years
   15 years
2. 20 years

It could take 10 years to regenerate.

1. the Australian Society for the Protection of the Great Barrier Reef
   the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
2. the Great Barrier Reef Association of Marine Life Protectors

Under the federal government and the Queensland state government, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is charged with this mission.

1. swimming and diving only
   boating and fishing only
2. fishing, boating and swimming

Fishing, boating and swimming -- as well as certain other activities -- are permitted in these zones.

1. the general public
   scientists
2. neither of the above

The general public is forbidden to enter these zones. They are designated solely for scientific research.

1. One cannot take food, drink or animals to such an area.
   One cannot take any pictures there.
2. One cannot take anything from there, shells and fish included.

The "no-take" clause refers to the ban on taking anything from there, so one can't collect shells or go fishing there, for example.

1. They are trying to develop a sunscreen using a part of the coral.
   They are trying to develop a cure for eczema using a part of the coral.
2. They are trying to develop a burns treatment using a part of the coral.

Using a part of the coral that secretes a certain protective coating, they are researching the development of a sunscreen.