The Australian government has created the world’s largest network of marine parks
The network covers 3.1 million sq km of ocean, more than a third of Australia’s waters. It includes the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef, home to a diverse range of wildlife and valuable habitats including sharks, tuna and deep sea canyons.
To protect the area, restrictions have been placed on fishing and oil and gas exploration.
Following the announcement, the numbers of marine reserves off the Australian coast have more than doubled to a total of 60.
