The sea received its name because of its numerous coral formations. They include the GBR, which extends about along the northeast coast of Australia and includes approximately 2,900 individual reefsGreat Barrier Reef , Encyclopædia Britannica on-line and 1000 islands.Hopley, pp. 1, 26 The Chesterfield Islands and Lihou Reef are the largest atolls of the Coral Sea.
