Show Research Begins On Barrier Reef Australia Coral Shelf Lures Men of Science The Great Barrier the world's largest known coral stretches for miles along Australia's northeast Its mysteries again attract the attention of and scientists as Queensland prepares tc build a permanent marine research station on Heron Island in the reef Since the first scientific probing of the Great Barrier Reef by the British more than a century thousands of its secrets have been Countless more remain to be The lying 20 to miles off the Queensland covers approximately square It offers pearl oysters and shells for the mother-of-pearl Its edibles varieties of or sea provide the dried product commercially as soup Ingredient popular with the Many other products from the reefs vast curtain of coral and the life that evolves around it are marketed or economic Drama has surrounded the Great Barrier Reef since it was discovered by Captain James Cook in Having no knowledge of it on his Cook sailed his ship into the the jagged prongs of coral piercing the hulL From the hilltop near where Cooktown now Captain Cook was able to see for the first time the shadows of the reef as he looked far out to Cook's adventures and those ol Captain commander of the plus the stories of numerous shipwrecks through the are still told around the of those who visit the Great Barrier For them there is no haunting fear of th dangers beneath the surface of th tropic |