Environmental Threats To The Great Barrier Reef

Environmental Threats To The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for 2,600 kilometres (1,616 mi) and cover an area of approximately 344,400 km². 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.

The Great Barrier Reef's environmental pressures include lowered water quality from runoff including suspended sediment, excess nutrients, pesticides, and fluctuations in salinity. The effects of climate change, including increased temperatures, storms and coral bleaching. Cyclic outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish, overfishing which disrupts food chains, and shipping routes which can result in oil spills or improper ballast discharge also damage to the reef.

Read more about Environmental Threats To The Great Barrier Reef:  Water Quality, Climate Change, Crown-of-thorns Starfish, Overfishing, Shipping, Oil, Tropical Cyclones

Famous quotes containing the words threats, barrier and/or reef:

    Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.
    Bible: New Testament, Luke 3:14.

    John the Baptist to Soldiers.

    The hearts of Afro-American women are too warm and too large for race hatred. Long suffering has so chastened them that they are developing a special sense of sympathy for all who suffer and fail of justice.
    —Fannie Barrier Williams (1855–1944)

    As the bird trims her to the gale,
    I trim myself to the storm of time,
    I man the rudder, reef the sail,
    Obey the voice at eve obeyed in prime:
    “Lowly faithful, banish fear,
    Right onward drive unharmed;
    The port, well worth the cruise, is near,
    And every wave is charmed.”
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)