August 2016

The Great Barrier Reef is the most extensive coral reef system in the world, and it can be found in the Coral Sea which is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
With over 1,500 species of fish, about 400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusc, 240 species of birds, and a lot more, no other place in the world contains such biodiversity. It measures around 2,600 km, and it’s proved by astronauts that they can see the Great Barrier Reef from space.

The Bureau of Meteorology in Australia runs a photographic competition each year. The winning pictures go into a calendar. The calendar showcases a carefully selected portfolio of images representing the diversity of Australia's highly variable weather and climate. The calendar, now in its 28th year, is published by the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.   

Above: Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights) over Casey station, Antarctica.