KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of marine protected areas

Learn the wildlife of the Great Barrier Reef

Australia

6,142 species have research-grade observations in the Great Barrier Reef on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, from fish and seabirds to the life along the shore.

iNaturalist's place for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Site, which matches the Marine Park.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra1,522
  2. Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae1,343
  3. Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius1,118
  4. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica1,107
  5. Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii1,012
  6. Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus958
  7. Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis923
  8. Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles895
  9. Black Noddy Anous minutus791
  10. Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus770

Plants

  1. Beach naupaka Scaevola taccada357
  2. Beach Sheoak Casuarina equisetifolia304
  3. Beach Morning Glory Ipomoea pes-caprae277
  4. Grey Mangrove Avicennia marina248
  5. Spotted mangrove Rhizophora stylosa246
  6. Hoop pine Araucaria cunninghamii235
  7. Tree heliotrope Heliotropium arboreum207
  8. Golden Orchid Dendrobium discolor200
  9. Sea hibiscus Hibiscus tiliaceus195
  10. Thatch screwpine Pandanus tectorius181

Mammals

  1. Koala Phascolarctos cinereus713
  2. Allied Rock Wallaby Petrogale assimilis609
  3. Agile Wallaby Notamacropus agilis292
  4. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae268
  5. Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus180
  6. Spectacled Flying-fox Pteropus conspicillatus132
  7. Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula116

Insects

  1. Asian Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina545
  2. Blue Wanderer Tirumala hamata330
  3. Great Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina288
  4. Giant Grasshopper Valanga irregularis167
  5. Purple Crow Butterfly Euploea tulliolus159
  6. Hibiscus Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus113
  7. Australian Common Crow Euploea corinna108
  8. Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope93
  9. Painted Grasshawk Neurothemis stigmatizans90
  10. Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus89

Spiders and kin

  1. Giant Golden Orbweaver Nephila pilipes315
  2. Northern Jewelled Spider Gasteracantha fornicata159
  3. Green Jumping Spider Mopsus mormon94
  4. Priestly Spiny Orbweaver Gasteracantha sacerdotalis93
  5. Northern Saint Andrew's Cross Spider Argiope aetherea88
  6. Tiger Spider Trichonephila plumipes84

Reptiles

  1. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas2,208
  2. Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata312
  3. Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes264
  4. Orange-flanked Rainbow Skink Carlia rubigo220
  5. Lace Monitor Varanus varius186
  6. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus173
  7. Major Skink Bellatorias frerei163
  8. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta143
  9. Closed-litter Rainbow Skink Carlia longipes123
  10. Mourning Gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris122

Fish

  1. Sixband Angelfish Pomacanthus sexstriatus1,221
  2. Lemon Damsel Pomacentrus moluccensis1,219
  3. Scissortail Sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus1,129
  4. Sixband Parrotfish Scarus frenatus1,075
  5. Leopard Coralgrouper Plectropomus leopardus1,059
  6. Steephead Parrotfish Chlorurus microrhinos1,001
  7. Bridled Monocle Bream Scolopsis bilineata991
  8. Goldstripe Butterflyfish Chaetodon aureofasciatus953
  9. Sixbar Wrasse Thalassoma hardwicke931
  10. Blackeye Thicklip Hemigymnus melapterus876

Mollusks

  1. Gigas Giant Clam Tridacna gigas924
  2. Small Giant Clam Tridacna maxima787
  3. Boring Giant Clam Tridacna crocea499
  4. Smooth Giant Clam Tridacna derasa344
  5. Fluted Giant Clam Tridacna squamosa260
  6. Day Octopus Octopus cyanea222
  7. Tryon's Hypselodoris Hypselodoris tryoni212
  8. Bigfin Reef Squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana194
  9. Mud Creeper Telescopium telescopium178
  10. Bear Paw Clam Hippopus hippopus157

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with NOAA or any area's managers. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.