Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The impact of global warming on the great barrier reef
Environmental issues with the great barrier reef
The impact of global warming on the great barrier reef
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Great Barrier Reef – 5 Questions
What is the significance of the Great Barrier Reef?
The significance of the Great Barrier Reef is mainly because it is the most extensive structure built by living organisms. It is so big and detailed, that it can be seen from the moon. Now part of the World Heritage List, The Great Barrier Reef starts just below Papua New Guinea and is a long stretch of 2000km long running down the North East coast of Australia. (Refer 0.1) It has 2500 different reefs and is home to 1500 species of fish, 350 different types of coral. It is a major breeding area for humpback whales, sea turtles and sea birds. The Great Barrier Reef provides many jobs and has created many industries in Queensland. It is the most significant drawcard for tourism in Queensland. Although the Great Barrier Reef has many species of living creatures. It hold lots of cultural and historical history. In 1975 the Great Barrier Reef was established. It was listed on the world heritage list in October 1981. Now a Marine Park that is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The Reef extends back to thousands of years ago and even has its involvements with the first European explores in the 17th and 18th century.
What are the major threats to the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef holds some of the most unique colour patterns in the world. But potential threats in the Modern era are having an impact on the Reef and the beauty it holds. The greatest threats are all due to today’s climate change problems. It has been proven that climate change is biggest threat to the reef’s future. Climate Change is having such and impact on the reef because of the rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification and rising sea levels. Look...
... middle of paper ...
...nd at what progress have they made.
The Great Barrier Reef Management Authority identified in an outlook plan for the reef that climate change is the long term threat that will destroy the reef. The Australian Government and Queensland officials have formally agreed to undertake an assessment on the Great Barrier Reef and the routes taken in order to maintain the reef’s beauty. A public group has been set up, allowing for people to have their say in how to protect the reef. There is a Long-Term Sustainability Plan for the Great Barrier Reef being undertaken by Australian and Queensland officials. This plan involves both costal officials and those of the general public that want to get involved. Officials have taken in all the comments from the general public and are expected to come up with a shot and long term plan into order to sustain the Great Barrier Reef.
Earth, an endless source of wonder and beauty, produced the Great Barrier Reef. Hustling and bustling, the Reef thrives like a busy city, teeming with life. Sheltering thousands, corals, maintain the well-being of the Reef; however, the world threatens its nature and delicacy. Populations growing and technological advances increasing, the world becomes more and more disconnected with the natural world, posing an alarming risk for the planet we live on. Although many organizations try to keep the oceans clean, because of human interference and unnatural occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef needs scientific help to adapt corals to new conditions for means of survival, putting pressure on the Australian government to save their ocean environment.
The world is changing. The environment is yelling at us, but is society ready to listen? Climate scientists, outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, and politicians all have an opinion on the state of the world’s climate. There is an argument from each side, agreeing or disagreeing with the claims of scientists who are trying to show the world what is happening. The fact is that humans are changing the climate, and it is not for the better. Glaciers are melting, the polar caps are shrinking and the ocean is becoming acidic. According to a report in Ocean News and Technology “Researchers have found that increasing ocean temperatures due to climate change will soon see reefs shrinking” (Ocean News and Technology). The Great Barrier Reef off the
Climate change has been affecting coral reefs in a negative way. If the climate continues to get warmer more of our coral reef become bleached, the structure of the reefs will become weak, and algae that keeps coral healthy will die. In the essay, “A framework for understanding Climate change impacts on Coral Reefs” by Joshua Clinner (2016), he emphasizes our climate change has become one of the long-term threats to coral reef. The article “Climate change and human impacts are damaging the world’s coral reefs”, which didn’t include an author (2001), states that the sea temperatures throughout the tropics has increased dramatically leaving much of the coral unhealthy. Spencer Hall (2008), discussed in his article “Coral Reefs and Climate Change”, how the increase in climate change puts a lot of stress on coral reefs because they are very sensitive to the change of temperature. Rigel B (2003) states in his essay, “Climate Change and Coral Reefs”, that coral reef has already been negatively impacted by
Leading scientists advise climate change will cause increases to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Rising sea levels pose a significant risk to coastal communities, while the world’s oceans could become too acidic to support coral reefs and other calcifying marine organisms. Coral reefs contain only six per cent of the area of the Great Barrier Reef, yet they provide critical habitat and food for numerous species in the ecosystem. However, climate change has already impacted coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef as corals are very helpless against its potential impacts. Eight mass coral bleaching events has occurred since 1979, triggered by unusually high water temperatures. And because of this, zooxanthellae (photosynthetic algae) leave their tissues and corals will have no more colours hence ‘bleaching’. Without the zooxanthellae, the corals that remain gradually starve to death. Once the coral dies, fish and a multitude of other marine species are soon affected. Rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storm surges will see more erosion of Australia’s coastline, causing community and residential
In 2003, the Commonwealth and Queensland governments started collaborating together to enhance the water quality in the GBR. In their joint efforts, they managed to create the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (hereafter RWQPP). Basically the plans aim was to identify factors that affected the water quality, enhance agriculture methods so that it would not end up in the reefs water, and not to mention improve the water quality in GBR. However, it was not until 2008 that the RWQPP got the proper financial support needed to execute the most crucial phases (Brodie, 2015). Brodie assumes that to be the reason why there were modest results in the cutback of the substances on the reef during the period between 2008-2013. Proper results usually take a long time to achieve and in this case also substantial funding. The plan have been updated and improved throughout the years, and new targets have been supplemented to accomplish the end goal (Brodie, 2015).
Believe it or not the current pop culture surrounding the reef is environmental protection. This mean that people are trying to protect and cleanse the reef of toxic waste and such. And the reason that comes to mind as to why they are protecting the reef is because they would want to preserve such a mythical place from the bottom of their
There are many actions we can take to help the great barrier reef survive, such us using different means of transport like walking or biking, which decreases pollutions like oils and gas, also reducing the use of plastic bottles, straws and containers will also help, as well as volunteering at a beach cleanup events.
Coral reefs around the world are in danger. One of the causes is global warming, which has been increasing the temperature of the ocean water resulting in coral bleaching. This essay will focus on damage occurring to the Great Barrier Reef.
You can stay at the luxurious island resort in the middle of the Reef and ipso facto first handedly experience the numerous activities you can take part into. From swimming with whales to diving, from sailing to cruising, from fishing to a helicopter tour to get an astonishing view of the Reef from above, thanks to its biodiversity and location, the Great Barrier Reef has it all, visit it today! 2. Bora Bora Island
Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface. The talk of climate change can often seem to focus on what is happening in our atmosphere, but there is a lot of change going on in our oceans. The oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 28% of the carbon pollution generated by human consumption of fossil fuels (Nuccitelli 2015). The purpose of this paper is to show how the effects of climate change effect the coral reefs in our oceans, with a focus on the coral reef systems in the Caribbean and of the Great Barrier Reef. The Caribbean coral reefs are well known to have suffered more damage between the two reef systems. That’s not to say that the Great Barrier Reef has not suffered its own damage. It has and will continue to suffer in the future.
1. The Battle of the Coral Sea was a significant milestone of WWII; markedly, the first operational failure of the Japanese in the Pacific Theatre. The series of naval engagements fought between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and a combined task force of the United States (US) and Australian naval and air forces ultimately prevented the sea-borne Japanese invasion of Port Moresby. The Japanese endeavoured to eject “British and American strength from the Netherlands indies and the Philippines, [and] to establish a policy of autonomous self-sufficiency and economic independence” (Parker 1993) by invading and capturing islands in the South Pacific region in May 1942. 2. The battle is historically considered the first carrier air power interaction,
The Great Barrier Reef is an exemplary model of the famous exotic coral reef seen in a copy of the National Geographic or the popular animated film Finding Nemo. Located on the coast of Australia, it is known as the “largest biological organism in the world” (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” par. 1). The idea bears that coral reefs are again not an assortment of organisms functioning separately but rather working together to thrive. The groups of coral that are seen in t...
Actions have been taken to alleviate global warming, which simultaneously give the Great Barrier Reef and other coral reefs worldwide a chance to recover. For instance, Australia has agreed to meet the target of 1.5 degree Celsius increase, in this century, set by the Paris Climate Conference (Schiffman). Meanwhile, the Nature Conservancy, an environmental organization, is “working with countries to establish resilient marine protected area networks” with the aim of increasing the chances of coral reef recovery
Coral Reefs are known as the “Tropical Rainforests of the Oceans.” They are called thus because of the “tight resource coupling and recycling, allowing coral reefs to have extremely high productivity and biodiversity” (Coral Reef bleaching, no date). Coral Bleaching has always been a part of the natural circle of life, but only over the last forty years’ have Marine Biologist seen a rapid increase of the onset of coral bleaching. Coral reefs are severely threatened by the combination of natural causes and human activities. Natural causes include climatic events such as El Niño and La Niña events, whereas the human activities include the dramatic effects of the coastal development along the reefs, agricultural overflow into the sea and marine
The Great barrier reef has had many recent hardships, including water pollutants and the increasing water temperature. Although it may be too late to save this particular reef we the people must not be so nearsighted to the