Great Barrier Reef Forms A Shield Against Tsunamis

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Coral reefs protect the coastline from tsunamis, but only when they are not too close to shore. Filipe Frazao/Shutterstock

Besides its beauty, biological diversity and value as a tourist attraction, the Great Barrier Reef does one more thing for Australians; it guards against tsunamis. Strangely, it seems it didn't perform the same role thousands of years ago when the reef was closer to the shore. Now evidence has been found of an underwater landslide that could have been disastrous for the inhabitants of coastal areas at the time.