The Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef By Isabella

What impact has there been on the landmark by people Shipping accidents

The Great Barrier Reef sees a huge amount of ocean traffic pass through waters everyday. A boat wreck does not have to go to the extreme to have a affect on the Great Barrier Reef.However the large vessels going through the ocean can

Release a TBT which is toxic to sea water which can damage marine living.

Oil spills The government tried to keep the Great Barrier Reef in its best condition possible. There have been a huge number of oil spills in the last few decades. They have affected the reef and it's marine wildlife. As a result some of the damaged areas have become inhabitable for the marine life. There have been some estimates by experts that the reef may take up to 10

to 20 years to recover.

Fishing Lots of sea life (prawns other Muscles) leads to other wildlife getting caught in nets. The nets damage the ocean floor when

they drag along. The Great Barrier Reef marine park has made most of the reefs' off limits for fishing. Many areas of marine life in the reef are protected by law.

Pollution Pollution has has a big impact on the Great Barrier Reef and it's struggle for survival. Human based pollution has caused

harm to the reefs and needs to be stopped or reduced.

Climate change Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the Great Barrier Reefs future. The threats of the rising sea temperature is

at very high risk to the ecosystem.

Coral bleaching The Great Barrier Reef has already had two big coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2002. Surveys showed that almost 60

percent of reefs have been bleaching.

Tourism impacts Tourism impacts have had both good and bad affects on the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism helps make make money for local communities. Tourism can also help to tell people about the reefs delicate ecosystem. But with so many people in one area

it makes more waste and pollution.

Name the different native species that live in the area.

What have they had to do to survive when living in this environment.

Turtles are most affected by climate change. It is predicted that if the temperature increases it will effect their food. Once a turtle has laid their eggs for them to be able to hatch the

temperature needs to be 25-30 degrees Celsius. The predicted temperature rise in the sea is likely to affect marine turtles.

Green turtles are mostly plant eaters. As adults they eat algae,Seagrass,mangrove fruit and jellyfish.

Green turtles like marine grass but if it's not available to them they will eat algae.

Loggerhead turtles will eat animals like crabs sea urchins and jellyfish.The loggerhead turtle gets affected by whether change.

A sea snakes gets affected by climate change. A sea snakes body temperature relies on the sea temperature

The estuarine crocodile is the only type of crocodile in the Great Barrier Reef . Like turtles the temperature is important for there eggs to be able to hatch .

Name the introduced species of animals that have been introduced to this area? What impact have

they had on this environment?In 2001 the Asian green muscle was found. The Asian green muscle is on the next pests list.

The Asian green muscle can grow quickly and cover up underwater walls.

The Caribbean tube worm makes its homes in muddy lagoons. It builds tubes on hard surfaces such as boats which can reduce the

boats speed.

Protecting the environment Don't let as many boats go out int the Great Barrier

Reef to try and stop boat crashes. Stop fishing completely so that there will be no more

damage on the grounds of the Great Barrier Reef when they go fishing with nets.

Don't let people go into the Great Barrier Reef with rubbish.

History Although captain James Cook was the one who discovered the Great Barrier Reef it was known to the Australian people for many years. The aboriginal people knew the reef existed and built large canoes to get the there. They moved there homes up and down the coast and made good use of the reef

before the Europeans arrived and settled there. Mathew flinders was the one who named the reef the Great Barrier Reef. He helped create a safe passage

through the area.

The Great Barrier Reef The great barrier reef is a very popular place. In the Great Barrier Reef there are six hundred types of soft

and hard corrals. More than one hundred species of jellyfish. Three thousand varieties of mussels. Five hundred types of worms. One thousand six hundred and twenty five fish. One hundred and thirty three types

of sharks and rays. More than thirty species of whales and dolphins.

The Great Barrier Reef is located in the coral sea on Australia's North Eastern Coast, near Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef reaches as far as Indonesia.

The Great Barrier Reef scratches more than one thousand six hundred miles. It is two thousand five hundred and seventy five kilometres. It covers one hundred and thirty three thousand square miles and three hundred and forty four thousand square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef is thirty five million hectares. It is the size

of seventy million football fields.

The Great Barrier Reef has more than three hundred and forty colour corals. The Great Barrier Reef is blue.

Aboriginals have fished and hunted the Great Barrier Reefs waters. Australia's aboriginal people not only know of the existence of the Great Barrier Reef, they had large canoes that they traveled to Islands and outa reefs with. They moved there homes up and down the coast till the Europeans came and settled there. The discovery of the reef was made by captain James Cook. Mathew flinders named the reef the Great Barrier

Reef.

Six species of sea turtles came to the reef to bread The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outa space

When people fish with nets in the Great Barrier Reef they drag along the floor and damage the floors.

To protect the Great Barrier Reef fishing could be banned completely

Interesting facts 1.the Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest reef system

2.the Great Barrier Reef has over 2,900 individual reefs 3.the Great Barrier Reef has over 900 islands stretching over

2,600 kilometres 4.the Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outa space

5. Six species of turtles came to the reef to bread 6.seventeen species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef

7. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef