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Great Barrier Reef Research Papers

Decent Essays

What is the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The reef is about 3000 km long (1800 miles). The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Reef runs parallel to the coast of Queensland. The reef starts near the coast of South Bundaberg and extends past the northern tip of Cape York. Some of the nearest towns are—Cairns, Port Douglas, Rock Hampton, and Townsville.

Reef Type
There are four different main type of reefs formed in the Great Barrier Reef. These are:-
• Fringing Reef
• Barrier Reef
• Atolls

Conservation Programs
The UNESCO World Heritage meet once a year to discuss the preserve the world heritage sites. In July 2015 they decided not to put the Great Barrier Reef on the ‘in danger’ list. The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 20500 Plan). The …show more content…

This maybe a good thing but it also has a bad side effect. Tourists tend unknowingly stamp on fragile reefs because which causes it to die. Fragile reefs are also crushed because of the anchors dropping on them. Oil spills are also a big risk because of a number of ships and vessels.

Natural threats
There are some natural threats to the Great Barrier Reef. Coral bleaching is one natural threat to the Great Barrier Reef. This happens when the temperature of the water increases. Because of the increase in the temperature of the water the algae are killed. This can lead to discoloration of the reef. Another natural threat to the reef is the crown of thorns starfish. The crown of thorns starfish kills corals by sticking onto it and releasing neurotoxins onto the coral.

Fringing Reefs
Fringing reefs are the most common type of reefs we see. Fringing Reefs are reefs that are grown along or near the coastline of an island or continent. They are separated from the shore by a narrow and shallow

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