Photographer Josh Smith has captured stunning aerial views of a struggling natural wonder.

Mr Smith’s latest project, The Reef, is the fifth instalment of Down Under from Above, a film and aerial photo series that aims to remind Australians of their beauty of the natural surrounds and the importance of protecting it.

Mr Smith says it did not take long to form a deep connection to the Great Barrier Reef.

“I remember seeing the reef for the first time. I caught a glimpse of it through wet season clouds during a commercial flight up north years ago, and I’ve been obsessing over it ever since,” he said in a recent interview.

“Through these images, I have the responsibility to remind as many people as I can exactly what we have here, how precious it is and how important it is for us to think about what we do on land and the impact it has on our oceans.

“Being an aerial photographer, I get to see a lot of beautiful things from a very different perspective and this project also become a personal challenge in seeing if all the skills I’ve acquired flying over rural Australia could translate to this area.”

A sample of the photos are available here, while details of his upcoming exhibition are available here.