The Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is comprised of a series of coral reefs of the coast of the Queensland province of Australia. It is approximately 1,400 miles long, and is the largest living structure on the planet. The reef is among the most diverse regions on our planet, and is home to an astonishing array of animal and plant life. Most of the reef is protected by The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park which was formed in 1975 through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act. However the reef faces a littany of very real threats and dangers. They include climate change, declining water quality from runoff and pollution, extreme weather, coastal development, illegal fishing, and outbreaks of the coral eating crown of thorns starfish. …show more content…
I feel passionate about this not only as some one who believs in enviromental conservation and preservation, but also as an avid scuba diver who would one day like to dive and get to witness the reef first hand. If we do not coninue to attempt to nurse the reef back to health we risk collapsing a unique and truly special ecosystem. The reef has been recognized as a World Heritage Site due to its remarkably unparalleled biodiversity. With 600 types of corals, more than 100 kinds of jellyfish, thousands of molluscs and fish species, over 100 forms of rays and sharks, and approximately 3 dozen sorts of whales and dolphins the reef is a complex living breathing machine with millions of moving parts that make it's existence possible. If this habitat is continually stressed we face the depressing possibility of destroying it entirely. For every species that we manage to kill off from over fishing to the ones that can't adapt to climate change to ones that we poison through pollution we jeopardize the reef as a whole. It would seem to me we are playing a really sick form of the childrens game jenga with this incredible masterpiece created by nature. We keep pulling blocks from the bottom of the tower and expect the
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.
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
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
It only takes one person to start a domino effect which can end up possibly saving the reef, and then when David Attenborough wisely speaks of the great barrier reef it will be how amazing it looks and how we saved it from total destruction instead of how damaged and destroyed and in danger it
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
Some ways to help our coral reefs are conserve water: The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans. Help reduce pollution: Walk, bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs. Research what you put on your lawn: Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life. Dispose of your trash properly: Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish. Support reef-friendly businesses: Ask the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef. Be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort. Plant a tree: Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet and the rising temperatures of our oceans. Practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling: Do not touch the reef or anchor your boat on the reef. Contact with the coral will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill it, so look for sandy bottom or use moorings if available. Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup: You don't live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth. Contact your government representatives: Demand they take action
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the wonders of the natural world. It was declared a World Heritage area in 1981 and added to the National Heritage List in 2007. Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef faces many threats. Pollution caused by direct or indirect human activities are major threats to Australian reefs. (source 1).
This biography written by Biographys.com it is using information on Stephen Robert Irwin (Steve Irwin), which is more or less organised from Irwin’s time of birth on February 22nd 1962 in Essendon Victoria to time of death on September 4th 2006 off the coast of Port Douglas Queensland (at the Great Barrier Reef) while recording a new documentary (Oceans deadliest) he died aged 44 leaving behind Terry Rains, Bindi Irwin, Robert Irwin (Wife, Daughter and Son) and many other family and friends. This biography has not only pictures but also a short 3-minute film unfortunately the pictures aren’t linked before or after paragraphs but in one album, all pictures tell have with sentences explaining what happened during the time photo or short snippets of information and facts about him throughout his lifetime.
6.There are many strategies used to increase the state of the Great Barrier Reef. As for what can be done to save the reef some say reducing co2 emissions is the key.Although these people are trying to save the worlds biggestreef, it is not a very short term project. Its very to save them when five category 5 storms in the past 7 years have harshly pounded the reefs.But, there are efforts in place to sumbit the damage from starfish.One project encourages farmers to adopt practices that reduce the amount of nutrient rich runoff pouring into increasing reef
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
Located off the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef. It started growing approximately 20,000 years ago and now extends over an area covering 345,000 square kilometers. It was first discovered by James Cook in 1770 when he struck the Endeavour Reef, which led to the scientific community learning of the existence and extent of the reef (Doubilet). The Great Barrier Reef averages forty feet below the surface of the Coral Sea, and is made up of close to three thousand smaller reefs (De’ath, Fabricius, Sweatman, and Puotinen). Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. In fact, approximately a quarter of marine life depends on coral reefs for both shelter and food (“Corals and Coral Reefs”). Surprisingly, coral reefs only make up seven percent of the Great Barrier Reef (Australian Government).
As global temperatures increase, many specialized ecosystems are at high risk of collapse. Coral reefs are one of the most sensitive to such changes due to the narrow biological parameters they need to survive. Their growth is limited to clear, shallow seas between 75-85oC. These restrictions are due to the algae (called zooxanthellae) that live symbiotically with coral. Zooxanthellae undergo photosynthesis to provide the coral with oxygen and sugar while the coral provide zooxanthellae with carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Sudden high temperatures stress corals, causing them to expel the zooxanthellae that live within their tissue. The zooxanthellae give corals their color and therefore expelling the zooxanthellae leaves the corals looking
Concerns about coral reefs have only been raised within the last few years, going back to 2004. In the Home movie (which came out in 2009), they dressed that coral reefs were dying from all of the heating of our planet and the deadly pollutants in the air going into the water. The movie and many articles wrote by scientists have said that this damage made to the coral reefs might not be averted. Almost 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed and no immediate signs of recovery. On Earth’s surface, coral reefs take up 1% of the surface. In 1998, 16% of coral reefs were damaged by pollutants in the air. But in 2009, 40% of the 16% that were damaged in 1998 recovered fully or is recovering slowly. Those numbers were great at first,
Today many people do not see the need to preserve corals reefs. Hence because of the lack of appreciation for the reefs, they are slowly disappearing. Many citizens do not realize the importance of these reefs, the species they hold, and the food webs that connect the ecosystems. Our American government has stated many times that they are doing all they can to preserve and to replenish our coral reefs. However, how accurate is that statement? To answer these questions, we first have to understand what a coral reef is and how it can be saved.