From the Great Barrier Reef website: 

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space.

The marine park stretches over 3000km (1800 miles) almost parallel to the Queensland coast, from near the coastal town of Bundaberg, up past the tip of Cape York. The reef, between 15 kilometres and 150 kilometres off shore and around 65 Km wide in some parts, is a gathering of brilliant, vivid coral providing divers with the most spectacular underwater experience imaginable.

A closer encounter with the Great Barrier Reef's impressive coral gardens reveals many astounding underwater attractions including the world's largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old.

 

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple use protected area with seven zoning categories: General Use zone (30%), Habitat Protection zone (28%), Conservation Park zone (6%), Buffer zone (3%), Scientific Research zone (<1%), Marine National Park zone (33%), and Preservation zone (<1%). Approximately 33% of the marine park is heavily protected by no-take areas.

From eAtlas.org website:

In each zones there are a range of activities that are allowed, disallowed or require a permit. The following outlines a summary of activities that are disallowed in each zone.
* General Use Zone: General use, some activities require a permit.
* Habitat Protection Zone: No trawling, some activities require permits.
* Conservation Park Zone: No trawling, limited crabbing and line fishing. 
* Buffer Zone: No aquaculture, bait netting, crabbing, harvesting fishing, collecting, spearfishing, line fishing, netting and trawling. Trolling for pelagic fish is allowed.
* Scientific Research Zone: Research areas primarily around scientific research facilities. Same as Buffer zone but with no trolling.
* Marine National Park Zone (Green): 'no-take' area. The following are allowed: boating, diving, photography and limited impact research. Some other activities are allowed with permits.
* Preservation Zone (Pink): 'no go' area. No activities are allowed except research activities with a permit.

 

There are currently four management plans within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park -- one for each region.

Cairns: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3024/gbrmpa_Cairns_Area_POM_2008.pdf

Hinchinbrook: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/3325/gbrmpa_Hinchinbrook_POM_2004.pdf

Shoalwater Bay: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3340/gbrmpa_Shoalwater_Bay_Dugong_POM_1997.pdf

Whitsundays: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/3342/gbrmpa_Whitsundays_Plan_of_Management_2008.pdf

 

More Information:

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003

Report on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning 2003 (GBRMPA) eAtlas.org.au

 

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef_Marine_Park

The  Great Barrier Reef Marine Park  protects a large part of Australia's  Great Barrier Reef  from damaging activities. It is a vast multiple-use Marine Park which supports a wide range of uses, including commercial marine tourism, fishing, ports and shipping, recreation, scientific research and Indigenous traditional use. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or  wildlife  (fish,  coral ,  seashells , etc.) is strictly regulated, and commercial shipping traffic must stick to certain specific defined shipping routes that avoid the most sensitive areas of the park. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest and best known coral reef ecosystem in the world. Its reefs, almost 3000 in total, represent about 10 per cent of all the coral reef areas in the world. It supports an amazing variety of biodiversity, providing a home to thousands of coral and other invertebrate species, bony fish, sharks, rays, marine mammals, marine turtles, sea snakes, as well as algae and other marine plants. ^[1]

The  Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority  (GBRMPA) is responsible for the care and protection of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It uses a range of tools to manage the marine park including Acts and Regulations, zoning plan, plans of management, Traditional Owner agreements, partnerships, stewardship and best practice, education, research and monitoring and reporting. It issues permits for various forms of use of the marine park, and monitors usage in the park to ensure compliance with rules and regulations associated with the park. GBRMPA is funded by Commonwealth Government appropriations and an environmental management charge levied on the permit-holders' passengers. Currently this is  A$ 6.00 per day per passenger (to a maximum of $16.50 per trip). ^[2]