Artist Ed Wong paints a mural depicting coral in the shape of an anatomical heart. Half of the heart is deteriorating, representing the half of the Great Barrier Reef that has been bleached to death due to climate change, along a street in Melbourne on July 31, 2019. /VCG Photo

A major environmental campaign, called Citizen Reef, has kicked off with the aim of making the Great Barrier Reef an Australian citizen. /VCG Photo

In doing so, the Great Barrier Reef, which is damaged by climate change, would be able to share the same rights and protections as Australian citizens. /VCG Photo

Over 25,000 Australians have signed a petition to grant the Great Barrier Reef Australian citizenship in order to gain it the same rights including the freedom from torture, the highest standard of health, and the right to life. /VCG Photo