The Great Barrier Reef is inscribed on the World Heritage List for its natural values, including an abundance of marine life and extraordinary aesthetic qualities. These and the enormous scale of the Reef make it unique and a place of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’. In the twentieth century, protection of the Great Barrier Reef shifted from limiting mechanical and physical impacts on coral reefs to managing agricultural runoff from adjacent mainland to minimise environmental impacts. By the early twenty-first century, it was apparent that threats to the Great Barrier Reef were no longer a local issue. Global warming, more frequent extreme weather events and increased ocean temperatures have destroyed vast swathes of coral reefs. Conservation scientists have begun trialling radical new methods of reseeding areas of bleached coral and creating more resilient coral species. The future of the Great Barrier Reef may depend on genetically engineered corals, and reefs that are seeded, weeded and cultured. This article asks whether the Great Barrier Reef can remain a natural World Heritage site or whether it might become World Heritage in Danger as its naturalness is questioned.

大堡礁因其自然价值而被列入世界遗产名录，包括丰富的海洋生物和非凡的美学品质。这些以及珊瑚礁的巨大规模使其独一无二，成为“突出普遍价值”的地方。在 20 世纪，对大堡礁的保护从限制对珊瑚礁的机械和物理影响转向管理来自邻近大陆的农业径流，以尽量减少对环境的影响。到了 21 世纪初，对大堡礁的威胁显然不再是当地的问题。全球变暖、更频繁的极端天气事件和海洋温度升高已经摧毁了大片珊瑚礁。保护科学家已经开始尝试重新种植白化珊瑚区域和创造更具弹性的珊瑚物种的激进新方法。大堡礁的未来可能取决于基因工程珊瑚，以及经过播种、除草和养殖的珊瑚礁。这篇文章询问大堡礁是否可以保留为自然世界遗产，或者它是否可能成为濒危世界遗产，因为它的自然性受到质疑。