The Great Barrier Reef Essay

Submitted By davisdaquan13
Words: 752
Pages: 4
Open Document
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism.
Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating $1 billion per year. The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It includes the smaller Murray Islands. It reaches from Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay, its northernmost island, and the south coast of Papua New Guinea) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island) and Fraser Island in the south. Lady Elliot Island is located 1,915 km (1,190 mi) southeast of Bramble Cay as the crow flies. Australia has moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm (2.8 in) per year, starting during the Cenozoic. Eastern Australia experienced a period of tectonic uplift, which moved the drainage divide in Queensland 400 km (250 mi) inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and shield volcanoes and basalt flows.
Some of these granitic outcrops have become high islands. After the Coral Sea Basin formed, coral reefs began to grow in the Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics—too cool to support coral growth. The Great Barrier Reef's development history is complex; after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, it was largely influenced by reef growth and decline as sea level changed. Reefs can increase
Show More

Related Documents: The Great Barrier Reef Essay

Great Barrier Reef Essay

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest coral reef and has 2900 smaller reefs join onto it. It covers over 850 islands and stretches over 2600 kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland and NSW. The Great Barrier Reef is so big that it can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest structure made by living organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is made of billions of minute organisms known as coral polyps. It supports a wide…

Words 740 - Pages 3

Great Barrier Reef Letter

Geography Draft Intro: Dear Mr _______ I have wrote this letter to you because I strongly believe that the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) should be on the world heritage list as it is very close to extinction. This is mainly because of human threats such as global warming and rising sea levels. Consequently, the GBR is in danger which is terrible because it is over 10,000 years old. Body 1: The GBR brings in an outstanding 2.5 million tourists a year, earning around 6.4 billion dollars in value. The…

Words 391 - Pages 2

Great Barrier Reef Advantages

the same outer reef experience but there are also 74 continental islands with fringing reefs that are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and actually have far more individual species of coral. The islands actually protect the reefs from strong winds and damaging ocean swell, also the large tides allow the currents to deliver essential food and nutrients allowing many more soft corals to thrive, as well as the same hard corals found further out, whereas the outer platform reefs are primarily…

Words 559 - Pages 3

Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

in your country (do you have a lake, river, coast, or coral reefs in your country?). Rivers and lakes Coastal areas Deep sea/Oceans Coral reefs The Great Barrier Reef is located of the coast of Queensland, Australia and is the world’s largest reef system. Comprises over 2,900 individual reefs, 900 islands it is home to over 1,500 species of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins and 215 species of birds and many more. The reef stretches out over 2,600 kilometres and is larger than the combined…

Words 823 - Pages 4

Great Barrier Reef Case Study

beautiful plants such as coral. Part B: Great Barrier Reef Climate/Temperature: The Great Barrier Reef has a tropical climate. The average temperatures in summer are usually between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius and in winter, between 14 and 26 degrees Celsius. Soils: Generally sand can be found under the water in aquatic biomes but dirt can also sometimes be found above the surface of the water. Wildlife: More than 1,500 different species of fish live on/around the reef. About 5,000 different types of species…

Words 1952 - Pages 8

Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

The Great Barrier Reef; it’s a land filled with the wonders of marine life and the beauty of biodiversity. A land where clear, crisp water can flow freely and fish can swim without the restriction of humans. At least that’s how many wish to imagine it. However, the current situation off of Australia’s northeastern coast is far from the picture-perfect image we all hold so dear. Human actions have damaged this beauty of nature to the point where it is nearly irreversible. Day by day the coral wonders…

Words 1194 - Pages 5

Essay about great barrier reef

Global warming that has been induced by human activity has affected the Great Barrier Reef by creating warmer temperatures in the water that will have an adverse effect on these highly productive ecosystems. Increases in sea temperature of 1°C may lead to coral bleaching; the death of coral can cause severe damage to dependent ecosystems. It is predicted that without a reduction in global emissions, the corals of the Great Barrier Reef will be destroyed and coral cover worldwide will... Crown of thorn…

Words 598 - Pages 3

Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

Great Barrier Reef The great barrier reef is formed and made of living organisms. Different types of bacteria, sand, lifeforms, corals, fish and plants build up the great barrier reef together. They produce sperm and it flows around the area and lays in a different part of the sea. Some of it will die, some of it will live to become another coral. The great barrier reef has lost at least 50% of its coral in the past 27 years of its life. The coal and gas companies around the reef are forced to dump…

Words 974 - Pages 4

Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's most visited tourist spot. It is the natural wonder that the country and its people are most proud of and it also features in the Top 7 Natural Wonders of the World. It is said to be the largest coral reef in the world. In fact, it is so big that it exceeds the Great Wall of China in length! Abundant marine life consisting of about three thousand reef systems, coral cays and literally thousands of islands make the Great Barrier Reef the ideal spot for…

Words 514 - Pages 3

Essay Experience the Great Barrier Reef

the Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most amazing ecosystems in the world. It’s so amazing that it is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is teeming with life and has enough color to rival the most breathtaking rainbow. It’s easy to understand why the Great Barrier Reef leaves us in complete admiration. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the World for several reasons. One of the reasons why people consider the Great Barrier Reef to…

Words 758 - Pages 4