Shipping accidents are a pressing concern , as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef . Although the route through the Great Barrier Reef is not easy , reef pilots consider it safer than outside the reef in the event of mechanical failure , since a ship can sit safely while being repaired . There have been over 1,600 known shipwrecks in the Great Barrier Reef region . On 3 April 2010 , the bulk coal carrier ran aground on Douglas Shoals , spilling up to four tonnes of oil into the water and causing extensive damage to the reef
spilling up to four tonnes of oil
2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill
Great Barrier Reef