Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

The Great Barrier Reef stretches 2,300 kilometres down the eastern coast of Australia. Covering an incredible 344,400 square kilometres, an area the size of Italy, it is more than twice the size of the next largest coral reef. With over 1500 species of fish, 600 coral species and 30 different whale and dolphin species, it is one of the most biodiverse and complex ecosystems on the planet. The reef is said to be 500,000 to 2,500,000 years old and is said to be visible from the moon

The Great Barrier Reef is considered a great vacation spot. It's great for diving and snorkelling. There are many resorts all over small islands. It is quite easy to become engulfed in the whole reef experience. It's colourful, exotic, and strange sea life makes the Great Barrier Reef very unique and special. However, coral needs a number of preconditions to ensure healthy growth. The water temperature must not drop below 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit, sunlight must be able to reach the coral, and the water must be clean and salty. Coral is often mistakenly identified as a rock, but in all actuality, it is an animal. The actual coral is composed of small animals called coral polyps. Most polyps are very small, although rare species can grow quite large. One coral

Such faults are like walking on the coral without a care, dropping anchors on the coral, dragging diving gear over them, breaking them and taking them home as souvenirs and knocking and grounding boats on them. But these are just a few examples of how humans treat the reef. Also things like pollution such as sewerage, oil spills, sunscreen, fertilisers and pesticides damage the reef; it spreads though the water then kills off living creatures. Prawn trawling destroys up to ten times more creatures than are actually harvested. Endangered marine turtles are still dying in nets; huge areas of seafloor are laid waste by destructive trawl