Great Barrier Reef

doesn’t it. The Great Barrier Reef is home to over fifteen hundred different types of aquatic organisms. Not even counting the unusual number of unique corals. Moreover, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the world. Consequently, it Is also one of the most endangered habitat in the world. 3. With the Great Barrier Reef bringing in over six points four billion dollars it is a waste for us to let it die without a fight.! Over the past decades the Great Barrier Reef has been in…

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is home to hundreds of species of coral, fish, and other animals. Its total area is roughly the same as that of Italy or Germany. As the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the GBR supports more species per unit area than any other marine ecosystem. The reef also contributes around 6 billion dollars annually to Australia’s economy. However, the reef is under considerable stress due to a recently increasing trend in sea temperature, ocean acidification, sea level,…

What is a coral reef? Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems that are formed by many small animals called polyps, which through their ability to excrete calcium form the limestone skeleton that they live on. As coral reefs grow they can take on three structures fringing, barrier or atoll. The Reef located along the Queensland coastline is called the Great Barrier Reef as it is separated from the shoreline by a section of deep open water. Over many years hard coral polyps form reef structures that…

Introduction The Great Barrier Reef stretching 2300km along the coast of Queensland is the world’s biggest coral reef system. The GBR contains many plants, animals, habitats and heritage values to the extent that this diverse marine ecosystem has been established as a global natural treasure with world heritage listing. The Reef is also extremely important to industries and communities that depend on a healthy reef for employment/ income and their recreation. Since the 1980’s there have been…

Introduction The causes for the Great Barrier Reef decline in Australia has been affected by natural and human faults. The natural effects of the decline are; water temperature changes, movements of the Earth’s crust (tectonic plates) and the new spreads of coral disease (1). As well as the anthropogenic stress, spotted on marine debris pollution, radiation and overpopulation (4). To understand the causes of species, decline better in the Great Barrier Reef, this research will be a case study…

Awhile back, people were greatly devastated by the fact that the Great Barrier Reef was dying. This is very understandable because it is a 1,400 mile long mural of color and life, or at least it used to be. Now it smells of death and is on an unstoppable journey towards it’s end (Source). However, many do not understand the importance of the reef. The Great Barrier Reef is located in Australia and is assumed to be originally discovered by early Aborigines who inhabited the gigantic island for…

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, and lies a short distance off the northeast coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometers. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most amazing natural gifts blessed with a breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth that you can see from space. As the largest living structure on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef is incredibly…

The Great Barrier Reef Introduction: The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. (1) It consists of a nexus of coral reefs, shoals and islets in near the Northeastern coast of Australia. It extends in a northwest-southeast direction for around 1,250 miles (2,000 km), at an offshore distance ranging from 10 to 100 miles (16 to 160 km) and has an area of 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km) allowing it to be the largest coral reef in the world. It is sometimes referred to as…

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is found off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea of the Pacific Ocean. Scientists believe that the coral reef structure was formed 60,000 years ago, but deteriorated due to climate & sea level changes. However, the coral reefs grew over the old structure. The current GBR is about 6,000 - 8,000 years old. The reef’s abiotic factors include sunlight, soil, water, climate, & temperature. It has a tropical climate & two distinct seasons,…

sea temperature, organic matter, and nutrients are all increasing and altering each ecosystem (McClanahan et al 2002). Coral reefs are one of the main ecosystems of concern due to their ecological and economical importance. Coral reefs are undergoing "phase shifts to alternate, degraded assemblages" (Hughes et al 2007). It is suggested that reefs like the Great Barrier Reef are shifting towards an algal turf dominated ecological state (Bellwood and Fulton 2008; McClanahan et al 2002) rather than…