The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world – but it could disappear completely in just two decades.
Australia’s National Coral Bleaching Taskforce released its first comprehensive map of the Great Barrier Reef yesterday to show the true devastating effects on the reef so far.
93 per cent of the UNESCO World Heritage Site has been slightly to severely damaged – with the most extensive damage in the north.
Bleaching of coral reefs is caused by the warming oceans, as a result of this year’s El Niño and climate change.
Warmer sea temperatures causes the algae in the coral reef to become toxic, forcing the coral to expel it and ultimately causing starvation in the reef until it dies.
National Geographic reported that of the 911 reefs surveyed, a massive 93 per cent had experienced some bleaching.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. It is home to 1,500 species of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins, plus six species of turtles – all of which will be deprived of a breeding ground. The results will be catastrophic for the ecosystem.
“50 per cent of the coral is already dead or dying…”
“We’ve never seen anything like this scale of bleaching before. In the northern Great Barrier Reef, it’s like 10 cyclones have come ashore all at once,” Professor Terry Hughes, who conducted aerial surveys of the reef, told The Independent.
“Our estimate at the moment is that close to 50 per cent of the coral is already dead or dying.”
Use less water and less wastewater will pollute the ocean
Help reduce pollution and fossil fuel emissions, which lead to ocean warming and coral bleaching
All the products you use flow into the water system and ultimately pollute the ocean, which can harm coral and marine life
Don’t leave litter on the beach. Recycle where possible. Use less single-use plastic (especially plastic bottles)
If you are visiting the Great Barrier Reef, ask the boat tour, hotel, dive or snorkel company how they care for the reef and how they contribute to the reef management system
Trees reduce runoff into the ocean, plus planting trees helps reverse the effects of climate change and rising ocean temperatures
If you visit the reef on a diving or snorkelling trip, don’t touch the reef or anchor your boat on the reef. Contact with coral can damage it and the animals that live there.
Contact the government representatives and demand they take action to protect coral reefs. Spread the word about how important coral reefs are to us and the world’s ecosystems.
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