LocationThe Great Barrier Reefs geographic range (24°30'N to10°41'S, 145°00' to 154°00'E) comprises a World Heritage Site that extends for more than 2000 kilometres within the Coral Sea off the eastern coast of Australia, from immediately south of the Tropic of Capricorn to the coastal waters of Papua New Guinea.
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PlacePhysical Characteristics
Human Characteristics
Since the Great Barrier Reef is a Marine Park, there are no perminant human constructed fetures, however there are many non permanent human interventipns, some include:
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Relative LocationThe Great Barrier Reef is a 22 hour and 45 minute direct flight from Brentwood College School. Being 12,836 km away, this location has a completely different climate than that of Vancouver Island.
Cairns, in Tropical North Queensland, is the closest coastal city to the Great Barrier Reef. Located right on the coast, it operates as the gateway to this MPA and the best place to base yourself for a visit.
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RegionWeather
The Great Barrier Reef claims a superb tropical climate with two distinct seasons. With average temperatures anywhere between 17 and 32 degrees, and average (january) rainfall being about 396mm, warm days and light tropical breezes are constant characteristics of this destination. Distinctive Aspects
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system existing today, and is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. This structure that is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms can even be seen from outer space. It has been labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world, so it is no surprise that the Great Barrier Reef houses over 1 million visitors each year. Specific Crops
The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, some of which include:
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Human Environment Interaction
Human Modification
The Great Barrier Reef are suffers from the increasing pressure of mans' resource exploitation. Overfishing is one driving pressure that has had devastating impacts on many coral reefs in the world. Specifically to the Great Barrier Reef, overfishing has caused a shift in the reefs ecosystem and affects the reef's ecological balance and biodiversity. Oil spills from shipping accidents raise concern for huge the health of the reef. Tourism also has significant impact on the well being on the Great Barrier Reef both directly and indirectly. Environmental Concerns
Climate change is raising concern for the Great Barrier Reef as natural coral bleaching contunues to occur. The rapid outbreaks of Crown-of-thorn starfish also negitively effect the reef due to ther diet of coral polyps. Pollution has made significant impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and its struggle for survival as well. Human based pollution that has caused such harm to our reefs needs to be stopped or reduced significantly if we wish to save this fragile ecosystem. |
Issues in MPA
Climate Change
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority considers the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef to be climate change, causing ocean warming which increases coral bleaching. Pollution
Another key threat faced by the great barrier reef is pollution and declining water quality. This can be caused from numerous factors including eutrophication (farming fertilizer runoff), sediment runoff, pesticides, and pollution from mining. Crown-of-thorns
Crown-of-thorns starfish preys on coral polyps. Large outbreaks of these starfish can devastate reefs. Overfishing
The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species (such as the Giant Triton) can disrupt food chains vital to reef life. Fishing also impacts the reef indirectly through increased water pollution from boats and habitat destruction from trawling, anchors and nets. Shipping
Shipping accidents (specifically with resulting oil spills) are a pressing concern, as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism
The tourism sector is of major economic importance in the Great Barrier Reef both for foreign exchange earnings and for employment, however, much of the man-made damage to the reef is related to tourism. It has both direct and indirect impacts on coral reefs. Snorkeling, diving and boating can cause direct physical damage to reefs, and fishing and collecting can contribute to over-exploitation. Indirect impacts relate to the development, construction and operation of tourism infrastructure as a whole (resorts, marinas, ports, airports, etc.). Solutions to follow on the next page... |