Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is about the size of 70,000,000 football fields and can be seen from space? Located off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef attracts more than 2,000,000 tourists each year. The reef hosts just over 2,000 species of marine life, meaning multiple species of sea turtles, coral, sharks, fish, dolphins, and rays call this place home. The Great Barrier Reef is also named one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and was founded in 1770. Buzzing tourism, colorful aquatic life, and rich history make the Great Barrier Reef what it is today. The reef’s modern day popularity is all thanks to tourists buzzing in and out of Queensland like little bees, all of them trying to get a good look at this natural beauty. Queensland is so popular today all because of the Great Barrier Reef. Wearing a mask and fins and getting an inside look at this aquatic kingdom is one of the finest ways to see the Great Barrier Reef (Sheward 86). It is estimated that over 63% of people who visit Australia scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef each year. Waves of tourists make the Great Barrier Reef lively, but aquatic life makes it colorful and beautiful. …show more content…
Over 5,000 types of mollusks, 1,800 species of fish, 125 kinds of sharks, to be exact. Most commonly found in the reef are brightly patterned fish. Every kind of fish from overcast butterfly fish, to small vivid damsels, to angelfish can be found here (Worby 87). One of the reef's adored species is the infamous sea turtle (Rawlings-Way 87). These beautiful creatures make the Great Barrier Reef a must-see for travelers. The reef is like a canvas, with coral and fish painting the canvas into a masterpiece of living art (National Geographic). Marine life is what makes it beautiful, and tourism is what makes it popular, but the history is what makes the reef