Download or read book The Great Barrier Reef written by James Bowen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-02-17 with total page 746 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the world's natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2000 kilometres in a maze of coral reefs and islands along Australia's north-eastern coastline. Now unfolding the fascinating story behind its mystique this 2002 book provides for the first time a comprehensive cultural and ecological history of European impact, from early voyages of discovery to developments in Reef science and management. Incisive and a delight to read in its thorough account of the scientific, social and environmental consequences of European impact on the world's greatest coral reef system, this extraordinary book is sure to become a classic.