The Great Barrier Reef, located along the north east coast of Queensland, Australia is a 2 300km world heritage listed Marine Park larger in size then the entire area of the UK and Ireland combined. It is being degraded by the effects of global warming and other destructive threats made by both humans and animals. Many efforts are being made by governments and organisations to prevent the further destruction of the reef, as it is a vital part of the world and a pinnacle of biodiversity as an ecosystem.
Global warming is a pressing issue and a main offender in relation to the destruction Great Barrier Reef and other similar coral reefs around the world. The process of coral bleaching may be directly linked to Global warming and is a very negative
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The starfish breed quickest in tropical climates that reefs may be found in and flood in, devouring large amounts of coral. They resemble locusts as they have a large influx of population to eating grounds and may also be held accountable for the loss of coral worldwide. The federal government of Australia is in the process of culling and removing the species but efforts are seemingly futile as the starfish are especially difficult to extract. Despite the difficulty removing the starfish more than 250 000 have been extracted from the Great Barrier Reef between 2012 and 2014. It is important that the crown-of –thorns starfish threat is neutralised, as the species can be held responsible for 42 precent of all coral death. Even humans have a role in the Crown-of-Thorns impact in coral reefs as the crown-of-thorns larvae thrive in nutrient rich water; caused by human pollutants, dumped chemicals and rubbish and sewerage runoff entering the …show more content…
There are regulations put in place to prevent irresponsible fishing near and in the Great Barrier Reef. Fishing has been banned in 33% of the reef and is highly regulated in everywhere else. Tourism has a negative impact on the Great Barrier Reef, bringing in more people and pollution and waste. There are many main cities, developed towns and mining centres along the coast where the Great Barrier Reef exists, all of them creating rubbish, killing marine life and poisoning coral. Pollutants, dumped chemicals and rubbish and sewerage runoff are all negative factors impacting the reef and make humans the second largest threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef provides a home to over 10700 species of marine life, so it’s loss would be devastating. It is home to six of the worlds seven species of marine turtles including the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle and the Leatherback turtle. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority works closely with international, national, state and local agencies in the conservation and protection of biodiversity. It is a critical ecosystem for marine life to thrive and is important to sustain endangered species of the
As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, global warming will increase ocean temperatures and, along with that, the frequency and severity of bleaching events. In 2010, one of the hottest years in recorded human history, reefs bleached throughout the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean and off the coasts of Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Without the necessary reduction in the production of emissions, the death of the Great Barrier Reef will result in 6 billion dollars less in the economy and the loss of more than 50,000 jobs, If the oceans' corals were to collapse, the whole food chain will
Some people consider coral reefs the most beautiful places on earth. With the plants and animals progressing all around the beautiful corals, it is spectacular. Located on the northeast coast of Australia, there lies a place just like this. This is the Great Barrier Reef. These coral reefs are called, “the rainforest of the ocean,” because it supports a huge diversity of life. Coral reefs are more than just beauty, they are a home to fish and other creatures. They protect humans against floods and storms. The reef not only contains an abundance of marine life, but it is also the world’s largest coral reef system. It is so gigantic, astronauts could see it all the way from outer space. This paper offers an extensive amount of information about the Great Barrier Reef, including how it was formed, the animals that call it home, and how it is dying.
The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is believed to be one of the most incredible places on this earth. This reef is the largest living organism on this planet and the only living thing on earth visible from space (2011). The warm waters of the southwest Pacific Ocean are the perfect environments to create the world's largest system of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is in such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many travelers and sightseers (Edgar 2010). Due to the complexity of this natural phenomenon, human practices have led
Because the GBR is such a highly visited tourist attraction for snorkeling and diving, there has been a large number of human structures that have been built in natural areas. Every five years, the Australian government publishes an Outlook Report that examines the Great Barrier Reef’s health, pressures, and likely future. “The report is required under Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (section 54) and aims to provide a regular and reliable means of assessing reef health and management in an accountable and transparent way.” The report shows the actions that have been taken since 2009, including the focus on improving the quality of water that runs off the land. The increased freshwater run-off is in direct relation to the coastal development that has occurred since the major bleaching events have begun. The report released in 2009, states that the greatest risks to the Reef are still climate change, land-based runoff, coastal development, and some remaining impacts of fishing and illegal fishing and poaching. The report points out climate change as being the main cause of the destruction or bleaching of the reef (Department of Environment and Energy 2017). Most observers conclude that the climate change is a direct result of human
The Great Barrier Reef is under threat due to many human impacts and natural impacts. These impacts lead to other consequences that may harm our society as well. For example, if the Great Barrier Reef was to be damaged by pollution, tourism levels would decrease, which can lead to a drop in the economic stance of Australia. For these reasons, it is important to keep our ecosystems safe and protected. Some of the human impacts towards the Great Barrier Reef include:
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It is located in Queensland and stretches 2,300 km along the coast, covering 348,000 km2. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was established in 1975 in order to sustainably manage the natural heritage for future generations.
While government officials looked the other way, half of the coral has disappeared from along the length of the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, vast areas of the reef’s coral have suffered serious degradation. It isn’t surprising that the area’s unique level of biodiversity is being threatened by the damage as well.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef In the world being at 345, 000 square kilometres in size. This huge amount of reef is home to 1,500 species of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins, and 133 species of sharks and rays (Act.greenpeace.org, 2018). Imagine you were one of these fish and your home was just dying off leaving you without food and having to move to different areas. We are the ones causing The Great Barrier Reef to die! Not only does the reef provide homes and food for all of these animals but it also provides the ocean and earth with large amounts of oxygen.
The Great Barrier Reef is an iconic Australian landscape, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1981, being the world’s largest living organism and being one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
has risen to around 3.2 millimetres per year, although it does vary from year to
The Great Barrier Reef is an oceanic/costal ecosystem off the coastline of Port Douglas, Australia. There are man costal systems that are significant to the role of the Reef including coral reefs, wetlands, and rainforests etc. The reef consists of many diverse corals and is a home for over 1,500 different species of fish. The reef is unique for many distinctive reasons; a reason that is unique is that it is acknowledged as one of the most imperative biological possessions. The Reef is a complex ecosystem with numerous organisms trusting on each other for nourishment and endurance. Broadly all collections of maritime plants and animals are extravagantly signified in the Reef. The animals range from dugongs
“Unusually high water temperatures have caused many coral species to lose their zooxanthellae, turn white, and die prematurely, thereby leading to a decline in reef building. Scientists predict bleaching will reduce diversity among corals and the creatures that depend on them” (“Great” World Book). Additionally, changes in the salinity of the water affects the Great Barrier Reef. Salinity is changing because of changes in climate. This is because warmer air from climate change can absorb more water than cooler air, therefore changing evaporation cycles. In places where there is more rainfall than evaporation, rainfall is increasing. In places where evaporation exceeds rainfall, evaporation is increasing. This process is widening the gap between humid and arid regions. This proves to scientists that climate change is affecting salinity (Calif). Furthermore, diseases are produced among coral because of climate change as well as pollution. Increasing temperatures are so effective on the reef that the only disease that can be treated is black-band disease (“Coral”). Ultimately, the coral in the Great Barrier Reef becomes brittle and pale because of these
Environmental sustainability refers to the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment (Sutton, 2004). Threats to these features of the environment mean that there is a risk that these will not be maintained (Sutton, 2004). For example, damage that is done to the natural environment can generate threats of serious decline in quality or destruction (Sutton, 2004). The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is one of the seven wonders of the world, however, it is slowly facing decline. Threats to the Great Barrier Reef include climate change, coral bleaching, a major outburst of the Crown-of-thorns starfish and tourism. The Australian Government’s response to the recommendations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
Global warming has been on the world’s radar for many years. For Australia and our world heritage site, the rising sea temperatures in the last three decades have seriously affected the Great Barrier Reef in many ways, the most concerning of which being coral bleaching. This incredibly beautiful but fragile underwater world is also
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.