Great Barrier Reef: Human Impacts

Corals build colonies that secrete calcium carbonate to form ocean reefs. When they're healthy, coral reefs provide shelter and food for animals all along the food chain, including the top: us. Across the planet, half a billion people rely, directly and indirectly, on corals for their living. That's why what happens to the 9,000-year-old Great Barrier Reef, as well as to other reefs worldwide, is critical. The floods in Queensland have hurt the Great Barrier Reef by funnelling into the ocean vast plumes of freshwater and agricultural runoff that could severely damage the coral. Besides the extreme rain that sparked the floods, rising ocean temperatures, changes to the ocean's chemistry and the global trade in natural resources — all symptoms of our fossil-fuel economy — are waging a multiform war on the marine

One environmental issues posted on the facebook group on Ecologically Conscious Social is climate change’s effect impacts on Great Barrier Reef where is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites. Great Barrier Reef is located in Queensland, Australia.

The reef’s fish are slowly but surely declining due to overfishing, and the Australian Parliament passed a law that prohibits fishing in ⅓ of the reef, but it is still an issue (Kummer 76). The fish and other animals are being threatened by coastal runoff of wastes toxic to them, coral bleaching, and the invasions of crown-of-thorns starfish. The coral bleaching is caused by wastes in the water and the sun. This is slowly making the coral decline, and the GBRMPA is trying everything they can to prevent this (75). As for the crown-of-thorns starfish, outbreaks of them occur about every 17 years, and half of the coral decline is because of them (“About”). During the 1960s, plans were made for mining and drilling on the reef. These plans were never followed through with, but it is unclear whether it will happen in the future or not. This could damage the reef, and the GBRMPA is still trying to shut the plan down today (Kummer 55). Lastly, the Great Barrier Reef lies in a tropical zone threatened by typhoons frequently. These typhoons really damage the coral and the animals that live on the reef. The future of the Great Barrier Reef is unclear, but the GBRMPA is still managing it with great care today (Hoffman

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the world. It extends more than 1,300 miles through the coral sea off northeastern Australia and it is even visible from outer space. It is also home to more than 400 types of coral and 1,500 species such as the tropical fish, birds, dolphins, and reptiles. The reef is not only home to the coral but it is also breeding ground for humpback whales and a habitat for endangered species. The Great Barrier Reef was listed as a protected site by the World Heritage Trust in 1981 to help maintain it’s beauty allowing for tourists to keep wanting to visit, which greatly affects the economy in Australia and more specifically to keep the marine life alive. However, the reef is undergoing huge

The Great Barrier Reef is an example of a natural environment that was affected and had sustain serious harm to some parts of the reef. Thirteen percent of the Great Barrier Reef is believed to have come into contact with Cyclone Yasi advancing from Cairns to Townsville, dealing varying levels of devastation. With powerful winds blowing up to 285 kilometres per hour, it was definite that the cyclone will cause significant

Unfortunately, the most diverse ecosystem on the planet has been ravaged by the effects of climate change. Record breaking levels of coral bleaching continue to deteriorate the Great Barrier Reef due to pesticides and nutrients flowing into the water

Unfortunately, there are many factors that pose as potential threats to the Great Barrier Reef. The biggest threats to its health are natural pressures like extreme weather conditions and climate

Climate change is influenced by the greenhouse effect which is the increase of Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide. On one hand, the presence of these gases in the atmosphere make the earth habitable with respect to regulating the earth’s temperature. However, an increase in the concentration of these gases results in trapping energy in the atmosphere and this in turn increases earth’s temperature. “Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between

The Great Barrier Reef provides a significant economic benefits locally and nationally. However, this depends on the health and resilience of the ecosystem. For this reason, it is vital to continue protecting the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is in danger due to human activities and often damaged due to the environmental impacts humans contribute in. If the Great Barrier Reef is not protected and was to be left as it is, the reef would be in significant danger. Therefore it is important for the Great Barrier Reef to be protected until the end.

Another huge impact climate change is having on our planet is the effect it’s having on the Great Barrier Reef. It is 2,300 kilometers long and stretches along the Queensland coast in Australia. I read an article in which they stated this quote "This year is the third time in 18 years that the Great Barrier Reef has experienced mass bleaching due to global warming, and the current event is much more extreme than we've measured before," said Hughes. (Plumer,

Crikey! What an amazing sight! Known as one of the world’s natural seven wonders “lives” the Great Barrier Reef. Extending like a pulled piece of taffy along the Eastern coastline of Australia, this reef, discerned as the largest biotic structure on the planet. In short, the Great Barrier Reef’s biodiversity has supported thousands of habitats and species, while exuding beauteousness unfathomable by most, bringing millions of tourists annually. Unfortunately, among all of this wonderment lurks destruction and demise by, not only the hands of humans, but pollution, industry, climate change and the ever-mighty grasp of Mother Nature.

The Great Barrier Reef is occupied by the worlds most diverse species of animals. It is a major tourist attraction, with economical benefits and an ecosystem so serine with great tranquility and current. However, is it really that great? Well, it used to be. The Great Barrier Reef is being harshly affected by climate change and the industrialisation of the fossil fuel industries, which are its biggest threats. The corals that occupy marine life are being bleached and ripped away. The reef is dying at a rapid pace, quicker than any body would expect. It is seen to the majority of the world as an “out of site out of mind issue”, however, it really is the elephant in the room.

The increasing population of the Crown of Thorn’s starfish (COTS) is currently a hot topic, especially with regards to the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef. The COTS feeds on the living coral using its hundreds of sucking tubes within its arms, and its eating habits are not sustainable and too much coral is being consumed. This is a major contributor of the decline in coral cover at the Great Barrier Reef (Lucas, 2013). This is one of the main causes of coral cover decline along with cyclones, pollutant discharge from the land, coastal development and climate change affects. (The conservation 2012).

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park faces many damaging factors which destroy the biodiversity of the reef, the health of the coral located in The Great Barrier Reef as well as the water condition of The Great Barrier Reef. Most aspects that damage The Great Barrier Reef are caused by one of the following issues: climate change, which can cause immense destruction to The Great Barrier Reef’s coral by causing them to bleach and therefore die. Pollution which has major impacts on the reef’s resilience and heath, industrialisation which is at fault for the increasing amount of dredging and dumping on the reef which causes the death of both the coral and marine life. Outdated fishing practices also causes harm to The Great Barrier Reef’s marine

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living coral reef that has the most diverse marine ecosystem expanding thousands of kilometers across Queensland coast. It has been identified that climate change is one of the greatest threats towards the coral reef, due to a sudden change of ocean temperature (reference). The coral reef is a sensitive ecosystem that is very important in the marine ecosystem because they provide homes to many marine organisms and nursery grounds for the diversity of fish. However, they are significantly impacted.(Bauer, 2018). These corals are manufactured by calcium carbonate containing photosynthetic algae, called zooxanthellae, which live in their tissues. Zooxanthellae are known to give coral their unique colors.