Australia's
Great Barrier Reef is considered to be the world's largest reef system.
It is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs, 900 islands and covers an
area of 133,000 square miles (344,400 sq km). It is also one of the
Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and it is the world's biggest structure made out of living species. The
Great Barrier Reef is also unique in that it is the only living
organism that can be seen from space.
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea. It is off the northeast coast of Australia's state of Queensland. The reef itself stretches over 1,600 miles (2,600 km) and most of it is between 9 and 93 miles (15 and 150 km) from shore. In places the reef is up to 40 miles (65 km) wide. The reef also includes Murray Island. Geographically, the Great Barrier Reef stretches from Torres Strait in the north to the area between Lady Elliot and Fraser Islands in the south.
Much of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It covers over 1,800 miles (3,000 km) of the reef and runs along Queensland's coast near the town of Bundaberg.
scientists believe that complete coral reef structures where today's Great Barrier Reef is were formed 600,000 years ago. This reef died off however due to climate change and changing sea levels. Today's reef began to form about 20,000 years ago when it started growth on the remains of the older reef. This due to the fact that the Last Glacial Maximum ended around this time and during glaciation sea level was much lower than it is today.
The Great Barrier Reef has 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. In addition, six species of endangered sea turtles breed in the reef and two green sea turtle species have genetically distinct populations in the north and south of the reef. The turtles are attracted to the area due to the 15 species of sea grass that grow in the reef. Within the Great Barrier Reef itself, there are also a number of microscopic organisms, different mollusks and fish that inhabit spaces inside the coral. 5,000 species of mollusk are on the reef as are nine species of seahorses and 1,500 species of fish, including the clown fish. The reef is composed of 400 species of coral.
The areas closer to land and on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef are bio diverse as well. These places are home to 215 bird species (some of which are seabirds and some of which are shorebirds). The within the Great Barrier Reef are also home to over 2,000 types of plants.
Due to its extreme biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination and around two million people visit it per year. Scuba diving and tours via small boats and aircraft are the most popular activities on the reef. Since it is a fragile habitat, tourism of the Great Barrier Reef is highly managed and sometimes operated as ecotourism. All ships, aircraft and others that want to access the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park need to have a permit.
Despite these protective measures, however, the Great Barrier Reef's health is still threatened due to climate change, pollution, fishing, and invasive species. Climate change and rising sea temperatures are considered the greatest threats to the reef because coral is a fragile species that needs water to be about 77˚F to 84˚F (25˚C to 29˚C) to survive. Recently there have been episodes of coral bleaching due to higher temperatures.
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea. It is off the northeast coast of Australia's state of Queensland. The reef itself stretches over 1,600 miles (2,600 km) and most of it is between 9 and 93 miles (15 and 150 km) from shore. In places the reef is up to 40 miles (65 km) wide. The reef also includes Murray Island. Geographically, the Great Barrier Reef stretches from Torres Strait in the north to the area between Lady Elliot and Fraser Islands in the south.
Much of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It covers over 1,800 miles (3,000 km) of the reef and runs along Queensland's coast near the town of Bundaberg.
scientists believe that complete coral reef structures where today's Great Barrier Reef is were formed 600,000 years ago. This reef died off however due to climate change and changing sea levels. Today's reef began to form about 20,000 years ago when it started growth on the remains of the older reef. This due to the fact that the Last Glacial Maximum ended around this time and during glaciation sea level was much lower than it is today.
The Great Barrier Reef has 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. In addition, six species of endangered sea turtles breed in the reef and two green sea turtle species have genetically distinct populations in the north and south of the reef. The turtles are attracted to the area due to the 15 species of sea grass that grow in the reef. Within the Great Barrier Reef itself, there are also a number of microscopic organisms, different mollusks and fish that inhabit spaces inside the coral. 5,000 species of mollusk are on the reef as are nine species of seahorses and 1,500 species of fish, including the clown fish. The reef is composed of 400 species of coral.
The areas closer to land and on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef are bio diverse as well. These places are home to 215 bird species (some of which are seabirds and some of which are shorebirds). The within the Great Barrier Reef are also home to over 2,000 types of plants.
Due to its extreme biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination and around two million people visit it per year. Scuba diving and tours via small boats and aircraft are the most popular activities on the reef. Since it is a fragile habitat, tourism of the Great Barrier Reef is highly managed and sometimes operated as ecotourism. All ships, aircraft and others that want to access the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park need to have a permit.
Despite these protective measures, however, the Great Barrier Reef's health is still threatened due to climate change, pollution, fishing, and invasive species. Climate change and rising sea temperatures are considered the greatest threats to the reef because coral is a fragile species that needs water to be about 77˚F to 84˚F (25˚C to 29˚C) to survive. Recently there have been episodes of coral bleaching due to higher temperatures.
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
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