in what body of water is the great barrier reef located
Frederick Reefs


reefs of the Coral Sea and as such are located in deep oceanic waters off the Coral Sea Shelf. Aside from its coastal neighbours, it also lies east from the Swains Reefs; the lower part of the Great Barrier Reef. Frederick Reefs is approximately northeast of the Saumarez Reefs and west of the northwest extremity of Kenn Reefs. The reefs form a semi-enclosed lagoon or body of water known as Anchorage Sound; protected on most sides but open on the north side. On the southern side of the reef lies Observatory
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park


. The report is required under "Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975" (section 54) and aims to provide a regular and reliable means of assessing reef health and management in an accountable and transparent way. The report finds the greatest risks to the Reef are still climate change, land-based run-off, coastal development, some fishing impacts, illegal fishing and poaching. The Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park is a marine protected area located in Queensland waters adjoining the Great Barrier Reef. It was created on
20868769
Lady Elliot Island


, which is the highest possible classification designated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Marine National Park Green Zones protect the biodiversity within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park by protecting important breeding and nursery areas such as seagrass beds, mangrove communities, deepwater shoals and reefs. The island is particularly renowned for its scuba diving and snorkelling, as its location far offshore at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef results in excellent water clarity. The island is a vegetated shingle cay, which is uncommon. Typically these type of
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Great Barrier Reef


flights. By far, the most popular tourist activities on the Great Barrier Reef are snorkelling and diving, for which pontoons are often used, and the area is often enclosed by nets. The outer part of the Great Barrier Reef is favoured for such activities, due to water quality. Management of tourism in the Great Barrier Reef is geared towards making tourism ecologically sustainable. A daily fee is levied that goes towards research of the Great Barrier Reef. This fee ends up being 20% of the GBRMPA's income. Policies
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


or the Fitzroy Delta, and it does nothing to improve water quality in Reef waters, all matters which the World Heritage Committee wants action on. UNESCO considers that the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan has been effective, noting that progress had been made to reduce agricultural runoff sediments. Water quality was first identified as a threat to the Great Barrier Reef in 1989. Thirty "major rivers" and hundreds of small streams comprise the Great Barrier Reef catchment area, which covers of land. Queensland has several major urban centers
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Great Barrier Reef


was to halt and reverse the decline in water quality entering the reef by 2013. By 2020, they hope that the quality of the water entering in the reef improves enough so that it doesn't have a detrimental impact on the health of the Great Barrier Reef. To achieve these goals they decided to reduce pollutants in the water entering the reef and to rehabilitate and conserve areas of the reef that naturally help reduce water pollutants. To achieve the objectives described above, this plan focuses on non-point sources of pollution,
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Great Barrier Reef


the present, living reef structure at 6,000 to 8,000 years old. The shallow water reefs that can be seen in air-photographs and satellite images cover an area of 20,679 km, most (about 80%) of which has grown on top of limestone platforms that are relics of past (Pleistocene) phases of reef growth. The remains of an ancient barrier reef similar to the Great Barrier Reef can be found in The Kimberley, Western Australia. The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions,
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Reef HQ


Barrier Reef Aquarium. Reef HQ Aquarium is inclusive of the Coral Reef Exhibit, a Predator Exhibit, a children's section, a gift shop and cafe. In 2006 Reef HQ opened new 'Exploring our Wetlands' interactive kiosks developed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Reef HQ Aquarium is located in the same complex as the Museum of Tropical Queensland and the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre and an IMAX theatre in the Central Business District. Over 110 000 visitors tour Reef HQ Aquarium every year. Water
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Cyclone Justin


altogether. A similar situation would be felt by those who were rendered unemployed by the cyclone, as they would not have an income stream to support themselves on. The environmental impart of Cyclone Justin was large and varied. The Great Barrier Reef was one of the most significant locations which was damaged by the cyclone. With a limited width of open water the Barrier Reef is, as its name suggests, a barrier to the land against high swells. Although this means that the land is relatively well protected, the reef is
20171112
Great Barrier Reef


the reef environment also reduces the amount of light available to the corals decreasing their ability to extract energy from their environment. Pesticides used in farming are made up of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins are released into the wider environment due to erosion of farm soil, which has a detrimental effect on the coral. Mining company Queensland Nickel discharged nitrate-laden water into the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2011 – on the later occasion releasing of waste water. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
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Coral reef


70 metres deep. Above all, the offshore outer reef edge formed in open water rather than next to a shoreline. Like an atoll, it is thought that these reefs are formed either as the seabed lowered or sea level rose. Formation takes considerably longer than for a fringing reef, thus barrier reefs are much rarer. The best known and largest example of a barrier reef is the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Other major examples are the Belize Barrier Reef and the New Caledonian Barrier Reef. Barrier reefs are also found on
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


the event of mechanical failure, since a ship can sit safely while being repaired. The inner route is used by 75% of all ships that travel over the Great Barrier Reef. As of 2007, over 1,600 known shipwrecks have occurred in the Great Barrier Reef region. Waste and foreign species discharged from ships in ballast water (when purging procedures are not followed) are a biological hazard to the Great Barrier Reef. Tributyltin (TBT) compounds found in some antifouling paint on ship hulls leaches into seawater and is toxic to
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Frederick Reefs


a J shape that forms a semi-enclosed lagoon known as Anchorage Sound, with an opening on the North side. The complex measures about , with an area of . The reef is located is some deep water and drops sharply to over on the western side. The Frederick Reefs are a small group of remote reefs located beyond the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef, The reef complex lies due east from the city of Mackay, Queensland or northeast of the city of Gladstone. The reefs are part of the southern
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Great Barrier Reef


depths, but recent research has shown that benthic communities are just as negatively impacted in the face of rising ocean temperatures. Five Great Barrier Reef species of large benthic corals were found bleached under elevated temperatures, affirming that benthic corals are vulnerable to thermal stress. Another key threat faced by the Great Barrier Reef is pollution and declining water quality. The rivers of north eastern Australia pollute the Reef during tropical flood events. Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm runoff. 80% of the land adjacent to the Great Barrier
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Great Barrier Reef


can have localised impact on the reef, providing upwellings of fresh water, sometimes rich in nutrients contributing to eutrophication. The Great Barrier Reef supports an extraordinary diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species, some of which may be endemic to the reef system. Thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and the humpback whale. Large populations of dugongs live there. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, stretching along the East coast of Australia from the northern tip down to the town of Bundaberg, is composed of roughly 2,900 individual reefs and 940 islands and cays that stretch for 2,300 kilometres (1,616 mi) and cover an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. According to the 2014 report of the Australian
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Great Barrier Reef


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 over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, 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
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Great Barrier Reef


Management Systems and codes of practice, the creation of the Queensland Wetland program and other achievements were made to help improve the water quality flowing into the coral reefs. A taskforce of scientists was also created to assess the impact of different parts of the plan on the quality of water flowing into the coral reefs. They found that many of the goals have yet to be reached but found more evidence that states that improving the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef will improve its resilience to climate change. The Reefocus summit in 2008
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Impacts of ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef


, due to the resulting lack of aragonite in the water and the decreasing pH. This decreased health of coral reefs, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, can result in reduced biodiversity. Organisms can become stressed due to ocean acidification and the disappearance of healthy coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef, is a loss of habitat for several taxa. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen from 280 to 380 ppm since the industrial revolution. This increase in carbon dioxide has led to a 0.1 decrease in pH, and it could decrease by
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Coral reef


continental islands. As sea level rise continued, water topped most of the continental islands. The corals could then overgrow the hills, forming cays and reefs. Sea level on the Great Barrier Reef has not changed significantly in the last 6,000 years. The age of living reef structure is estimated to be between 6,000 and 8,000 years. Although the Great Barrier Reef formed along a continental shelf, and not around a volcanic island, Darwin's principles apply. Development stopped at the barrier reef stage, since Australia is not about to
5548005
Belize


of official protection, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas. By contrast, Costa Rica only has 27% of its land territory protected. Around 13.6% of Belize's territorial waters, which contain the Belize Barrier Reef, are also protected. The Belize Barrier Reef is a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site and is the second-largest barrier reef in the world, behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A remote sensing study conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


sampled reefs in 2000. It is thought that the mechanism behind excess nutrients affecting the reefs is due to increased light and oxygen competition from algae, but unless herbivory is unusually low, this will not create a phase shift from the Great Barrier Reef being primarily made up of coral to being primarily made up of algae. It has been suggested that poor water quality due to excess nutrients encourages the spread of infectious diseases among corals. In general, the Great Barrier Reef is considered to have low incidences of coral diseases. Skeletal
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Great Barrier Reef


Great Barrier Reef. The draft decision also warned Australia that it will not meet the targets of the Reef 2050 report without considerable work to improve water quality. Climate change has implications for other forms of reef life—some fish's preferred temperature range leads them to seek new habitat, thus increasing chick mortality in predatory seabirds. Climate change will also affect the population and sea turtle's available habitat. Bleaching events in benthic coral communities (deeper than ) in the Great Barrier reef are not as well documented as those at shallower
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Great Barrier Reef


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 in diameter by per year, and grow vertically anywhere from per year; however, they grow only above a depth of due to their need for sunlight, and cannot grow above sea level. When Queensland edged into tropical waters 24 million years ago
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New Caledonian barrier reef


The New Caledonian barrier reef is located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific, and is the longest continuous barrier reef in the world and the third largest after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the Belize Barrier Reef. The New Caledonian barrier reef surrounds Grande Terre, New Caledonia's largest island, as well as the Ile des Pins and several smaller islands, reaching a length of . The reef encloses a lagoon of , which has an average depth of . The reefs lie up to from the shore, but extend almost
310015
2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill


up in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is subject to very stringent environmental restrictions. He likened the situation to a car veering off a two-mile-wide road. The location of the grounding means that the fuel may contaminate the Great Barrier Reef, specifically the area around Great Keppel Island and Shoalwater Bay. Conservationists, including the Australian Greens political party and the Capricorn Conservation Council, have questioned the lack of requirement to have pilots stationed aboard ships transiting the Barrier Reef. Queensland Premier
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Great Barrier Reef


(Reefs Research Centre.) Outbreaks are believed to occur in natural cycles, worsened by poor water quality and overfishing of the starfish's predators. The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species, such as the giant Triton, can disrupt food chains vital to reef life. Fishing also impacts the reef through increased water pollution from boats, by-catch of unwanted species (such as dolphins and turtles) and habitat destruction from trawling, anchors and nets. As of the middle of 2004, approximately one-third of the Great Barrier
20868719
Cyclone Joy


nearby schools. In an attempt to mitigate damage, 150 volunteers filled 43,000 sandbags to protect properties. Nearby, residents rescued about 100 dogs from an affected kennel. Storm-related flooding damaged portions of the Great Barrier Reef through coral bleaching. Over 25 days, the Fitzroy River discharged about of water into Keppel Bay, reaching the Great Barrier Reef in early January and causing a drop in salinity levels. On Great Keppel Island, about 85% of shallow-water reefs died. Reef damage also occurred in the Whitsunday Islands
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Great Barrier Reef


clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout. Forty-nine species mass spawn, while eighty-four other species spawn elsewhere in their range. Seventeen species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to deep and are more common in the southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are endemic, nor are any endangered. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed: the green
20868704
Fringing reef


fastest here. The base of the slope receives the least sunlight and has the least growth out of the whole slope. Fringing reefs are located near shore in the tropics in many areas and are the most common reef type. Coral reefs are found in the tropics in which the water is between . Many of the Great Barrier Reef's components are actually fringing reefs. Of the close to 3400 individual reefs, 760 are actually fringing reefs. Near Msambweni, Kenya the reef, which stretches from Msambweni to Malindi in the north
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Impacts of ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef


Ocean acidification threatens the Great Barrier Reef by reducing the viability and strength of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef, considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a biodiversity hotspot, is located in Australia. Similar to other coral reefs, it is experiencing degradation due to ocean acidification. Ocean acidification results from a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is taken up by the ocean. This process can increase sea surface temperature, decrease aragonite, and lower the pH of the ocean. Calcifying organisms are under risk
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


Government's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), says that climate change is the most significant environmental threat to the Great Barrier Reef, while the other major environmental pressures are listed as decreased water quality from land-based runoff, impacts from coastal development and some persistent impacts from fishing activities. The reef is also threatened by storms, coral bleaching and ocean acidification. The 2014 report also shows that, while numerous marine life species have recovered after previous declines, the strength of the dugong population is continuing to decline
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park


00'S. The largest of those island are Albany Island (), Turtle Head Island and Trochus Island . Further islands are Mai Island , Bush Island , Tree Islet , Brewis Island , and a few unnamed islets. As of 2016, zones within the marine park has been categorized into the following IUCN protected area categories: In 1975, the Government of Australia enacted the "Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975", which created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and defined what acts were prohibited on the Reef. Joe
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Great Barrier Reef


the system. as in Raine Island, the earliest example. In 1922, the Great Barrier Reef Committee began carrying out much of the early research on the reef. Royal Commissions disallowed oil drilling in the Great Barrier Reef, in 1975 the Government of Australia created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and prohibited various activities. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park does not include the entire Great Barrier Reef Province. The park is managed, in partnership with the Government of Queensland, through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


on the coast including Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and the industrial city of Gladstone. Dredging in the Port of Gladstone is raising concern after dead and diseased fish where found in the harbor. Cairns and Townsville are the largest of the coastal cities, with populations of approximately 150,000 each. There are many major water quality variables affecting coral reef health including water temperature, salinity, nutrients, suspended sediment concentrations, and pesticides. The species in the Great Barrier Reef area are adapted to tolerable variations in water quality however when
17774869
Sea of Abaco


"Little Bahama Bank to Eleuthera Island". The Sea of Abaco, unlike many continental lagoon systems, is completely saline. None of the islands which border it contribute appreciable quantities of surface runoff, which is part of the reason why its waters are extremely clear. Coastal mangroves are abundant along the islands which border the sea, and marine life is relatively diverse. The Sea of Abaco is partly fringed by what is sometimes considered to be the third largest barrier reef system on Earth, the Great Abaco Barrier Reef. This
5461858
Cakaulevu Reef


Cakaulevu Reef (also called the Great Sea Reef) is a coral reef located off the northern shore of the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji. It is the third longest continuous barrier reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Mesoamerican Reef off Central America. When combined with the nearby Pascoe Reef, Cakaulevu Reef is about long. On its own, the Cakaulevu Reef covers . The marine ecosystem of the reef contributes to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


critical thresholds are exceeded they may be adversely impacted. River discharges are the single biggest source of nutrients, providing significant pollution of the Reef during tropical flood events with over 90% of this pollution being sourced from farms. When the 2019 Townsville flood waters reached the Great Barrier Reef, the flood plumes covered a large area of corals, even reaching 60 km out to sea. As of 1995, water visibility had decreased to 10 metres. Due to the range of human uses made of the water catchment area adjacent to the
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


areas lying on a continental shelf with complex oceanic circulation. In 1967, efforts began to conserve the Great Barrier Reef. It was proposed to mine lime from Ellison Reef, but surveys showed that the reef supported a diverse community of corals and fish. The Australian and Queensland Governments committed to act in partnership in 2007 to protect the reef, and water quality monitoring programmes were implemented. However, the World Wildlife Fund criticised the slow progress of the governments, raising a concern that as many as 700 reefs continued to be at
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Great Barrier Reef


a plan for dredging to create three shipping terminals as part of the construction of a coalport. According to corresponding approval documents, the process will create around 3 million cubic metres of dredged seabed that will be dumped within the Great Barrier Reef marine park area. On 31 January 2014, the GBRMPA issued a dumping permit that will allow three million cubic metres of sea bed from Abbot Point, north of Bowen, to be transported and unloaded in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Potential significant harms have been identified
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Abbot Point


as there are very few locations along Queensland's eastern seaboard where deep water (15m) is so close in-shore. However, the port's location is controversial as it is so close to the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO world heritage site. There are concerns that the reef and its animal life may be harmed by the ships transporting the coal as they transit the reef to and from the port. India's Mundra Port signed a 99-year lease on Abbot Point Terminal 0 in 2011. The deal cost Adani
13177808
Golden angelfish


Golden angelfish ("Centropyge aurantia"), also known as aurinatus angelfish or velvet dwarf angel, is a small angelfish inhabiting shallow reefs of the western Pacific Ocean. Living at depths of on shallow reefs, "C. aurantia" is found in the western Pacific including Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef. It is rarely found in Australian waters. The golden angelfish grows to around . Its main body colour is a reddish-orange or brown with thin orange stripes. All fins and the lips of this fish are lined with
8583995
Great Barrier Reef


of this issue. In response to this report, in 2003, the Australian and Queensland governments launched a joint initiative to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef. The decline in the quality of water over the past 150 years (due to development) has contributed to coral bleaching, algal blooms, and pesticide pollution. These forms of pollution have made the reef less resilient to climate change. When the plan was introduced in October 2003, it originally contained 65 actions built on previous legislation. Their immediate goal
20868730
Thelenota ananas


30 m, or in slabs near large coral heads and coral rubble, as depicted in Figure 2. They are typically located in seas surrounding India and in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The average water temperatures they thrive in are between 26-27 °C. The individuals are large and found dispersed in low densities. "T. ananas" are widely distributed, but tracking these organisms in a non-invasive and accurate way is somewhat difficult. Mark and recapture methods can be difficult because their bodies are extendable,
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


after the confirmation of the approval: This approval is in line with the agency's view that port development along the Great Barrier Reef coastline should be limited to existing ports. As a deepwater port that has been in operation for nearly 30 years, Abbot Point is better placed than other ports along the Great Barrier Reef coastline to undertake expansion as the capital and maintenance dredging required will be significantly less than what would be required in other areas. It's important to note the seafloor of the approved disposal area consists of sand,
17774883
Francis Lascelles Jardine


ounce] dated 1819. In 1911 Jardine disclosed that the wreck was located "in a lagoon of Portlock Reef", but did not give the exact location. Rowe in 1891 had said it was "on the extreme outer reef of the Great Barrier chain". Some describe Portlock Reef as the extreme northern limit of the Great Barrier Reef. Jardine persisted with his option that the ship was Spanish, so it appears that the ship's bell was not found. Spanish dollars were widely accepted, so it was not unusual
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


thousand years", but there is no geological evidence for Crown of Thorns outbreaks. The first known outbreak occurred during the 1960s. Large outbreaks of these starfish can devastate reefs. In 2000, an outbreak contributed to a loss of 66% of live coral cover on sampled reefs in a study by the CRC Reefs Research Centre. Although large outbreaks of these starfish are believed to occur in natural cycles, human activity in and around the Great Barrier Reef can worsen the effects. Reduction of water quality associated with agriculture can cause
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Cymbiolacca pulchra wisemani


Cymbiolacca pulchra wisemani is a subspecies of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family volutidae, the volutes. This species occurs in shallow water on top of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia from at least as far north as Saint Crispins Reef Reef east of Cape Tribulation to at least as far south as Stanley Reef north east of Bowen. This subspecies is closely related to, and may be conspecific with, "Cymbiolacca pulchra peristicta" from the Swain Reefs region at the southern end of the Great Barrier
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


dry tropics regions. Both are considered significant threats to high water quality. Copper, a common industrial pollutant in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, has been shown to interfere with the development of coral polyps. Flood plumes are flooding events associated with higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. In February 2007, due to a monsoonal climate system, plumes of sediment runoff have been observed reaching to the out most regions of the reef. Runoff is especially concerning in the region south of Cairns, as it receives over 3000 mm
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


the real issue. In a Conversation Article, Mathieu Mongin, a biogeochemical modeller at CSIRO and colleagues mapped parts of the Great Barrier Reef that are most exposed to ocean acidification. This map of pH on the Great Barrier Reef presents the exposure to ocean acidification on each of the 3,581 reefs, providing managers with the information they need to tailor management to individual reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is not a singular reef nor a physical barrier that prevents exchange between reefs; it is a mixture of thousands of productive reefs and shallow
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Great Barrier Reef


of which 30 are reef bioregions. In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, ribbon reefs and deltaic reefs have formed; these structures are not found in the rest of the reef system. There are no atolls in the system, and reefs attached to the mainland are rare. Fringing reefs are distributed widely, but are most common towards the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef, attached to high islands, for example, the Whitsunday Islands. Lagoonal reefs are found in the southern Great Barrier Reef, and further
20868701
Coral reefs of the Virgin Islands


other coral larvae to attach to and grow on. These corals can form into three different structures; fringing reefs, which are reefs that are close to the shore, barrier reefs, which are reefs that are alongside the shore and is separated by deep water, and an atoll reef which is a coral reef that circles a lagoon or body of water. As stated, the coral reefs such as fringing reefs, deep reefs, patch reefs and spur and groove formation are distributed over three islands in the Virgin Islands which are
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


University of Queensland (UQ) academics said on 19 December 2014 that, although the issues are "not insurmountable", "the health of the reef is still declining and consequently more needs to be done." Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) Great Barrier Reef campaign director Felicity Wishart was more damning and stated in a press release: The new Ports Bill fails to rule out any currently proposed new dredging, the dumping of dredge spoil in the Reef's waters and is silent on maintenance dredging across the region. The
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


Great Barrier Reef, some 700 of the 3000 reefs are within a risk zone where water quality has declined due to the naturally acidic sediment and chemical runoff from farming. Coastal development and the loss of coastal wetlands—the latter acts as natural filter—are also major factors From mid 2012 to mid 2016, 596,000 hectares of forest in the catchment zone was cleared. Industries in the water catchment area are cotton growing, comprising approximately 262 km²; 340 dairy farms with an average area of 2 km² each, 158 km² cattle
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Coral reef


nature of the substrate on which they rest, and the history of the change in sea level relative to that substrate. The approximately 20,000-year-old Great Barrier Reef offers an example of how coral reefs formed on continental shelves. Sea level was then lower than in the 21st century. As sea level rose, the water and the corals encroached on what had been hills of the Australian coastal plain. By 13,000 years ago, sea level had risen to lower than at present, and many hills of the coastal plains had become
5548004
Queensland Nickel


that Queensland Nickel discharged nitrate-laden water into the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2011—releasing of toxic waste water on the latter occasion. In June 2012, Queensland Nickel stated it intended to release waste water, continuously for three months, "at least 100 times the allowed maximum level as well as heavy metals and other contaminants". A Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) briefing stated the company had "threatened a compensation claim of $6.4bn should the GBRMPA intend to exert authority over the company's operations"
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


Queensland Nickel, owned by Australian politician Clive Palmer, discharged nitrate-laden water into the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2011—releasing of toxic waste water on the latter occasion. In June 2012, Queensland Nickel stated it intended to release waste water, continuously for three months, "at least 100 times the allowed maximum level as well as heavy metals and other contaminants". A GBRMPA briefing stated the company had "threatened a compensation claim of $6.4bn should the GBRMPA intend to exert authority over the company's operations".
17774878
Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


exploratory and production drilling for petroleum in the area of the Great Barrier Reef". After the Royal Commissions, the federal and state governments ceased allowing petroleum drilling on the Great Barrier Reef. A study in 1990 concluded that the reef is too young to contain oil reserves. Oil drilling remains prohibited on the Great Barrier Reef, yet oil spills due to shipping routes are still a threat to the reef system, with a total of 282 oil spills between 1987–2002. Tropical cyclones are a cause of ecological disturbance to the Great Barrier
17774909
Impacts of ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef


by 16% since industrialization, and could be lower in some portions of the Great Barrier Reef because the current allows northern corals to take up more aragonite than the southern corals. Aragonite is predicted to reduce by 0.1 by 2100. Since 1990, calcification rates of "Porites", a common large reef-building coral in the Great Barrier Reef, have decreased by 14.2% annually. Aragonite levels across the Great Barrier Reef itself are not equal; due to currents and circulation, some portions of the Great Barrier Reef can
2768935
Torres Strait


important international sea lane, it is very shallow (7 to 15 m water depth), and the maze of reefs and islands can make it hazardous to navigate. In the south the Endeavour Strait is located between Prince of Wales Island (Muralug) and the mainland. Shipping enters Torres Strait via the Adolphus Channel which joins to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon to the southeast. Strong tidal currents occur in the narrow channels between islands and reefs, and large submarine sand dunes migrate across the seafloor. Some 580 coral reefs,
13532772
Guanaja


settlements on Guanaja are Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight. Smaller settlements include East End and North East Bight. The primary source of income for the islanders is fishing and shrimping. Tourism is confined to a handful of small resorts that cater to divers, snorkelers and adventure travellers. The island's warm, clear waters support an extensive coral reef that is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and second only to the Great Barrier Reef off the coasts of Australia. Currently, there is still access to fresh water on Guanaja, and several
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Sweetlip emperor


The sweetlip emperor ("Lethrinus miniatus"), also referred to as the sweetlip swoose, is a fish of the Lethrinidae family. It can be found on coral reefs and moderately warm waters in the Western Pacific Ocean, although its primary habitat is the Great Barrier Reef. It can also be found in the coastal regions in the centre of Western Australia. Growing up to in length, its light grey colour has small black scale centres dotted around its body. Its first dorsal (on the back or top of the
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HMAS Moresby (1918)


Australian waters, including a navigation channel through the Great Barrier Reef. The ship was renamed and recommissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS "Moresby", after John Moresby, on 20 June 1925. She departed England on 28 June, and arrived in Australia in September. "Moresby" participated in the Great Barrier Reef survey until 21 December 1929, when she was decommissioned into reserve in Sydney. She was recommissioned on 27 April 1933, to perform urgent strategic surveys of the waters north of Australia. During the 1930s
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Seventeen Seventy, Queensland


fishing, Great Barrier Reef trips and other water activities. The area also has four national parks. These are Deepwater, Eurimbula, Mount Colosseum, and Round Hill. These all offer wilderness camping and hiking. The area's wildlife and vegetation have been preserved as far as possible, and this, together with the area's natural environment, and an outer surf and inner still water beach, is a tourist attraction. There are also day cruises and flights to the outer Great Barrier Reef, to nearby Lady Musgrave Island and
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Spearfishing


to ensure fair competition. Spearfishing is illegal in many bodies of water, and some locations only allow spearfishing during certain seasons. Spearfishing has been implicated in local disappearances of some species, including the Atlantic goliath grouper on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, the Nassau grouper in the barrier reef off the coast of Belize and the giant black sea bass in California, which have all been listed as endangered . Modern Spearfishing has shifted focus onto catching only what one needs and targeting sustainable fisheries. As gear evolved in the 1960s and 1970s
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Grey reef shark


seven years of age, when the males are long and females are long. Females on the Great Barrier Reef mature at 11 years of age, later than at other locations, and at a slightly larger size. The lifespan is at least 25 years. Grey reef sharks are active at all times of the day, with activity levels peaking at night. At Rangiroa, groups of around 30 sharks spend the day together in a small part of their collective home range, dispersing at night into shallower water to forage for food
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One Tree Island (Queensland)


shingle cay at the eastern end of a coral reef which is about 5.5 km by 3.5 km in size Vegetation consists of scattered velvet soldierbush and "Scaevola taccada" with several small groves of "Pisonia grandis". A small pond of brackish water is situated near the centre of tile cay. A research station conducted by Sydney University is located on the cay. The Capricorn and Bunker Cays form part of a distinct geomorphic province at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The cays and their reefs lie on the western
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Great Barrier Reef


sections of an 800-kilometre (500 mi) stretch in the northern part of the reef had died in the course of 2016 due to high water temperatures, an event that the authors put down to the effects of global climate change. The percentage of baby corals being born on the Great Barrier Reef dropped drastically in 2018 and scientists are describing it as the early stage of a "huge natural selection event unfolding". Many of the mature breeding adults died in the bleaching events of 2016-17 leading to low coral birth rates
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Heron Island (Queensland)


Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, north-east of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and north-north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The island is situated on the leeward (western) side of Heron Reef, a fringing platform reef of significant biodiversity, supporting around 900 of the 1,500 fish species and 72% of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island is also home to over 200,00 species of birds including Noddy Turns
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


to report suspected poachers. Shipping accidents continue to be perceived as a threat, as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef. The GBRMPA estimates that about 6000 vessels greater than 50 metres (164 ft) in length use the Great Barrier Reef as a route. From 1985 to 2001, 11 collisions and 20 groundings occurred along the Great Barrier Reef shipping route, with human error identified as the leading cause of shipping accidents. Reef pilots have stated that they consider the reef route safer than outside the reef in
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park


. The management committee draws inspiration from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's management strategies. The current method of zoning is called the "Representative Areas Program", which chooses "typical" areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They can then be protected in "Green Zones" (no-take zones). The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions, of which 30 are reef bioregions, and 40 are non-reef bioregions. In 2006, a review was undertaken of
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Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef


Barrier Reef had naturally prevented access and therefore human impacts. In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the world heritage list. Tourism is regarded to be an important way that Australia can fulfill its duty to present the Great Barrier Reef in accordance with the world heritage convention. In the 1980s, tourism in the Great Barrier Reef region expanded rapidly. At one point during the 1980s, a floating hotel operated. As of 1987, 450,000 tourists visited. Skeat and Skeat attribute the growth in tourist numbers during the 1980s
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South Island National Park


the Research Station, the Lizard Island Resort operated by Voyages Hotels & Resorts and a basic camping area operated by the Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. All islands in the Lizard Island Group are part of the Lizard Island National Park, administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Lizard Island is situated in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, administered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. Permits are required for all manipulative research in the Lizard Island Group and the waters
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


Point, north of Bowen, to be transported and unloaded in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Potential significant harms have been identified in relation to dredge spoil and the process of churning up the sea floor in the area and exposing it to air: firstly, new research shows the finer particles of dredge spoil can cloud the water and block sunlight, thereby starving sea grass and coral up to distances of 80 km away from the point of origin due to the actions of wind and currents. Furthermore, dredge
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Palfrey Island


Lizard Island Resort operated by Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts and a basic camping area operated by the Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. All islands in the Lizard Island Group are part of the Lizard Island National Park, administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Lizard Island is situated in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, administered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. Permits are required for all manipulative research in the Lizard Island Group and the waters surrounding it.
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Choriaster


a depth range of 1.5 – 53 m deep. The water temperature is above average, ranging from 24-29 °C. Choriaster granulatus has been found individually or in groups in the Indo-West Pacific region along coral reefs. It has also been found in the Red Sea, Fiji, and Great Barrier Reef. The sandy habitat is characterized by rubble slopes and detritus and they have been found among corals and sponges. "Choriaster granulatus" is a carnivore and has its mouth on the underside of its body,
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Great Barrier Reef


Reef Marine Park is protected from species removal of any kind, including fishing, without written permission. Shipping accidents are a pressing concern, as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef. Although the route through the Great Barrier Reef is not easy, reef pilots consider it safer than outside the reef in the event of mechanical failure, since a ship can sit safely while being repaired. There have been over 1,600 known shipwrecks in the Great Barrier Reef region. On 3 April 2010, the bulk coal carrier ran
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Environmental issues with coral reefs


by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Particular environmental pressures include surface runoff, salinity fluctuations, climate change, cyclic crown-of-thorns outbreaks, overfishing, and spills or improper ballast discharge. According to the 2014 report of the Government of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), climate change is the most significant environmental threat to the Great Barrier Reef. , 50% of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef has been lost. Southeast Asian coral reefs are at risk from damaging fishing practices (
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Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef


Tourism is one of the major industries in the Great Barrier Reef region. Approximately two million people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. According to the WWF, tourism of the area contributes $5.4 billion a year to the Australian economy, and employs approximately 69,000 people. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg sees the key competitive advantage of the Great Barrier Reef as opposed to other, closer, reef tourism destinations is the region's reputation as being "the most pristine coral reef on the planet". The GBRMPA states that careful management
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Impacts of ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef


coral growth. Additionally, if atmospheric carbon dioxide reaches 800 ppm, the ocean surface water pH decrease will be 0.4 units and total dissolved carbonate ion concentration will have decreased by at least 60%. At this point it is almost certain that all reefs of the world will be in erosional states. Increasing the pH and replicating pre-industrialization ocean chemistry conditions in the Great Barrier Reef, however, led to an increase in coral growth rates by 7%. Ocean acidification can also lead to increased sea surface temperature. An
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Barber Island


Barber Island is an island south of Great Palm Island, part of the Greater Palm group in Queensland, Australia. The Aboriginal name for this island is Boodthean Island. Barber Island is one of the ten islands in the local government area of the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council. The surrounding waters are in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the Coral Sea, which is administrated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). The GBRMPA zoning is "Conservation Zone". In a Conservation Zone, as compared
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


Reef. The types of damage caused by tropical cyclones to the Great Barrier Reef is varied, including fragmentation, sediment plumes, and decreasing salinity following heavy rains (Cyclone Joy). The patterns of reef damage are similarly 'patchy'. From 1910–1999, 170 cyclones' paths came near or through the Great Barrier Reef. Most cyclones pass through the Great Barrier Reef within a day. In general, compact corals such as "Porites" fare better than branching corals under cyclone conditions. The major damage caused by Tropical Cyclone
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Tunnel Creek


Tunnel Creek is a creek located within the grounds of Tunnel Creek National Park in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Along with Geikie Gorge and Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek is part of an ancient barrier reef that developed during the Devonian Period. Tunnel Creek is located 63 kilometres from the Great Northern Highway, between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, and was created by waters from a creek that cut a 750-metre tunnel through the reef. The tunnel is 15 metres wide and up to 12 metres high. Tunnel Creek was also the hideout
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Edward Marks


. By 1953, the Wilson Hostel closed for lack of patients, due to his team's work in identifying and treating the disease. He retired from practice in 1957. In 1922, Marks became a Foundation Member of the Great Barrier Reef Committee. The Committee organised the Michaelmas Cay and Heron Island bores of the Great Barrier Reef in 1927 and 1937. They also worked at establishing the 1928-1929 Great Barrier Reef (Yonge) Expedition to Low Isles Reef. Marks served as Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Committee from
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park


Baker, who was involved in the bid to make the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage-listed in 1981, was a founding member of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The Australian Government also has recognised the ecological significance of this Park by its inclusion in the nation's Biodiversity Action Plan. The Government of Australia manages the reef through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and in partnership with the Government of Queensland, to ensure that it is widely understood and used in a sustainable manner. A combination of zoning,
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Great Barrier Reef


limited to existing ports. As a deepwater port that has been in operation for nearly 30 years, Abbot Point is better placed than other ports along the Great Barrier Reef coastline to undertake expansion as the capital and maintenance dredging required will be significantly less than what would be required in other areas. It's important to note the seafloor of the approved disposal area consists of sand, silt and clay and does not contain coral reefs or seagrass beds. The approval was provided with a corresponding set of 47 new environmental conditions that include
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Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve


world’s second longest barrier reef after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It stretches from the middle of the Yucatán Peninsula, down the entire coast of Belize, and terminates in Honduras. Rocky Point, within Bacalar Chico, is the only location in Belize where the barrier reef meets the shore. The point is ‘rocky’ because a fossilized Pleistocene reef lies exposed at the surface. Within the park, all six species of cats native to Belize have been recorded, including the jaguar and puma. The forests are also
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Florida Reef


The Florida Reef (also known as the Great Florida Reef, Florida reefs, Florida Reef Tract and Florida Keys Reef Tract) is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. It is the third largest coral barrier reef system in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef). It lies a few miles seaward of the Florida Keys, is about 4 miles (6 to 7 km) wide and extends (along the 20 meter depth contour) from Fowey Rocks just east of Soldier
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Fort Worth Zoo


exhibit has been renovated and now includes the Great Barrier Reef exhibit in addition to being home to the zoo's red kangaroos, wallabies & formerly koalas. The Great Barrier Reef exhibit is a collection of Australian aquatic animals in three tanks containing more than of water. The exhibit includes 500 animals representing 86 species, including clownfish, blacktip reef sharks, angelfish, brain corals, moray eels and sea apples. Opened in 2018, the newly renovated African Savanna allows guests to see giraffes, dama gazelles, lesser kudu, springbok,
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Lady Musgrave Island


Lady Musgrave Island is a coral cay on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, with a surrounding reef. The island is the second island in the Great Barrier Reef chain of islands (with the first [southernmost] being Lady Elliot Island). The Island is named for the wife of Sir Anthony Musgrave, a colonial governor of Queensland. Lady Musgrave Island, and the immediate surrounds, is a national park and can be reached by excursion boat from the Town of 1770, Queensland, located approximately 5 hours north of Brisbane.
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Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef


marine organisms and humans; as of 2002, efforts are underway to restrict its use. In April 2010, the bulk coal carrier "Shen Neng 1" ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, causing the largest grounding scar to date. The spill caused damage to a 400,000sqm section of the Great Barrier Reef and the use of oil dispersant resulted in oil spreading to reef islands 25 km away. In 2012 and 2013, there were 9619 ship voyages through the Great Barrier Reef region, and this is forecast to increase 250
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Coral bleaching


Barrier reef. The most severe bleaching in 2016 occurred near Port Douglas. In late November 2016 surveys of 62 reefs showed that long term heat stress from climate change caused a 29% loss of shallow water coral. The highest coral death and reef habitat loss was inshore and mid-shelf reefs around Cape Grenville and Princess Charlotte Bay. The IPCC's moderate warming scenarios (B1 to A1T, 2 °C by 2100, IPCC, 2007, Table SPM.3, p. 13) forecast that corals on the Great Barrier Reef
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Recreational dive sites


bodies of water, and may be popular for various reasons, including accessibility, biodiversity, spectacular topography, historical interest and artifacts (such as shipwrecks), and water clarity. Tropical waters of high biodiversity and colourful sea life are popular recreational diving vacation destinations. South-east Asia, the Caribbean islands, the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia are regions where the clear, warm, waters and colourful and diverse sea life have made recreational diving an economically important tourist industry. Recreational divers may accept a relatively
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Great Barrier Reef


reef system. Other threats include shipping accidents, oil spills, and tropical cyclones. Skeletal Eroding Band, a disease of bony corals caused by the protozoan "Halofolliculina corallasia", affects 31 coral species. According to a 2012 study by the National Academy of Science, since 1985, the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals with two-thirds of the loss occurring from 1998 due to the factors listed before. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority considers the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef to
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Great Barrier Reef


. The types of corals that reproduced also changed, leading to a "long-term reorganisation of the reef ecosystem if the trend continues." The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. 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 southeast of Bramble Cay as the
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Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef


Barrier Reef region had reached $5.5 billion. In the wake of Cyclone Marcia, a marketing campaign urged people to visit the region to help it recover. In response to the coral bleaching event of 2016, where only 7% of the reef was unaffected, the tourism industry created a hashtag, #GBRtoday showing healthy corals. Also in 2016, the Australian government asked for a chapter on climate change and the Great Barrier Reef to be removed from UNESCO's report on the status of the Great Barrier Reef over concerns it
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Tool use by animals


schoenleinii") on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, yellowhead wrasse ("Halichoeres garnoti") in Florida and a six-bar wrasse ("Thalassoma hardwicke") in an aquarium setting. These species are at opposite ends of the phylogenetic tree in this family, so this behaviour may be a deep-seated trait in all wrasses. It has been reported that freshwater stingrays use water as a tool by manipulating their bodies to direct a flow of water and extract food trapped amongst plants. Prior to laying their eggs on
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Barney's Barrier Reef


Barney's Barrier Reef is a British documentary program launched by the CBBC in 2009, presented by Barney Harwood and Gemma Hunt. The structure of the program shows the links between animals from the Great Barrier Reef. It involves at least 10 to 12 animals each episode. Barney used an animal as a 'little cheat' as described by Gemma, because it was Humans. Barney's Barrier Reef mostly involves fish since the Great Barrier Reef is in an ocean. Land animals are hardly used in this series, but then they
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Acropora grandis


grandis" is found in shallow water in the western Indo-Pacific. Its range includes Madagascar, Mozambique, the Red Sea, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef. It grows in various reef locations but is more common on the upper slopes and in lagoons. The depth range is and it favours a well-lit site with a strong current. "Acropora grandis" is a zooxanthellate species of coral. This means that it has symbiotic dinoflagellates living within its tissues. These photosynthetic microalgae
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Great Barrier Reef


. The land that formed the substrate of the current Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain formed from the eroded sediments of the Great Dividing Range with some larger hills (most of which were themselves remnants of older reefs or, in rare cases, volcanoes). The Reef Research Centre, a Cooperative Research Centre, has found coral 'skeleton' deposits that date back half a million years. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) considers the earliest evidence of complete reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago.
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