The idea of investigating the structure and formation of the Barrier Reef has always appeal to me. For this, I decided to search information about world’s biggest one, which could be found in Australia. This reef is known as the Great Barrier Reef, it is located on Queensland’s Coral coast in the north- east of the country. One of the reasons why it’s so popular it’s because of its measure: 350.000km which allows being seen from the space. It’s the world’s largest coral reef system composed over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. Apart of all those factors it must be said that is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms.
It is not just composed by coral polyps; there are also animalslike dugongs, fishes, small
whales or inoffensive sharks.
Thanks to its exclusivity and awesome being it has become protected by the Great Barrier Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism.
However, as lately can be seen, human behavior has create a critic situation, as a result
of the bad use and environmental problems, the Barrier has started to get extinct. It is esteemed to disappear in a timeline of 52 years.
The Great Barrier Reef supports a diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species. Thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been found and recorded. Besides, six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed; Green sea turtles are the most common one. As it was expected, dangerous animals as sharks and crocodiles are part of this organic system as well as molluscs, nudibranchs and cone snails.
As I have said before, because of many causes the Barrier is starting a fast process to be extinct. Here I’m going to talk about many causes to give answer to this problem.
In the first place it’s possible to find climate change; it is the greatest threat, causing ocean warming which increases coral bleaching. Due to elevated ocean temperatures, coral bleaching is expected to become an annual occurrence. The worst factor is that many creatures cannot survive to this high temperatures so they die or they decise to seek new habitat, thus increasing chick mortality in predatory seabirds.
Another key factor is the pollution; this affects directly to water’s quality. Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm run-offs caused by oversizing fertilizer use and pesticides.
Crown of thorns large outbreaks of this starfish can devastate reefs.Outbreaks are believed to occur in natural cycles, worsened by poor water quality and overfishing of the starfish’s predators.
Fishing it’s another factor that should be taken on account. Many fishing companies are atracted to this wonderful and colorful ecosystem so they find here their perfect area to go fishing not only for food also for weird species that could be sold in the tropical fish market.
However, The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal Australians have been living in the area for at least 40,000 years, and Torres Strait Islanders since about 10,000 years ago. For these 70 or so can groups, the reef is also an important cultural feature.
Because of it’s popular “beauté” it’s many tourists destiny. It’s not just a place to visit and enjoy the landscape, it also allows going diving and making contact whit the marine Flora and Fauna which is the most exotic part. Nevertheless if we want to conserve this unic areai it’s very important to look after it and make it be cleen of pollution, not endangered of human people and the most important part: to be repectful with nature
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