File:Queensland & Swain Reefs National Park (MODIS 2019-07-22).jpg

English: Stretching for about 2,000 km (1,243 mi) along the Queensland coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the Earth’s largest reef structure. Made up of a maze of small reefs, passages, and coral cays (islands), the Great Barrier Reef provides habitat for a huge array of marine life. Its beauty draws tourists from around the world as well as scientists who strive to understand and protect the fragile ecosystem.

On July 18, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The image captures Swain Reefs National Park a marine park adjoining the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park just northeast of Rockhampton, Queensland. The cays of Swain Reefs National Park are largely in a natural and unaltered state, and the park intends it to stay that way. The park supports a remote calving ground for humpback whales, and is also home for dugong, estuarine crocodile, green turtle, flatback turtle and hawksbill turtle. Also recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International, the cays are an important breeding ground for many birds, including Roseate Terns.