Each year, some 2 million tourists from around the world come to swim, fish, and enjoy the magnificent ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef. The Queensland National Trust has named it a state icon of Queensland. The reef was also selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, and it has been labeled as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In reality, it is a complex ecosystem comprising many billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps, living in harmony with countless species of rare and exquisite flora and fauna.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from space and is sometimes referred to as the single largest organism in the world. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system, comprises roughly three thousand individual reefs and nine hundred islands stretching for 1,616 miles (2,586 kilometers) and covering an area of approximately 214,000 square miles (554,260 square kilometers). For more information see the GBRMPA website aerial photograph of the Great Barrier Reef. The Marine Park is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Scientific research is already showing that these green zones are increasing the number of fish and other marine life and is also helping protect coral. In 2004 1/3 of the reef was declared no take or Green zones in which no extractive activities (such as fishing or collecting) are allowed. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple use Marine Park that means certain activities are not allowed in certain areas. The GBR was declared a Marine National Park in 1975 and a World Heritage Area in 1981 to protect its incredible natural, cultural and historical values for generations to come. This is why it is essential to reduce our impact on the reef as much as possible and encourage others to do the same. Populations of dugongs and turtles have declined more than 90% and 50% respectively. It has suffered damage from mass coral bleaching events, which have been linked to climate change, and outbreaks of Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS). The health of the GBR is generally good but is under pressure from tourism, fishing, farming, coastal development and land and water pollution. In addition, over 4.9 million recreational users utilise the GBR.Ībout 2 million tourists from around the world visit the GBR each year with one of the 820 permitted commercial operators. The GBR supports a large number of industries including tourisim and cruise shipping, commercial fishing, sea cucumber and aquarium fish harvesting, coral rock collecting and aquaculture. Coral reefs are constantly active during the day and night with animals awake at different times…the city that never sleeps. These and other plant and animal species live together in a complex, interactive ecosystem. It is estimated to have more than three times as many coral and fish types than the reefs of the Caribbean. The GBR has some of the highest marine life diversity in the world and is commonly called the rainforest of the sea. The reef you see today is a layer of living tissue on top of a solid base of dead coral which is 18 million years old in the north and 2 million years old in the south.Before sea levels rose, most of the GBR was land and indigenous Australians used to walk on it to hunt for food.
#Great barrier reef species Patch
They are all mid shelf, patch reefs east/north east of Cairns.
#Great barrier reef species pro
Pro Dive Cairns operates to 4 reefs ( Flynn Reef, Milln Reef, Thetford Reef and Pellowe Reef) of the 2900 that make up the GBR. It is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and has been declared a World Heritage Area. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a natural wonder of the world, renowned for its unique biodiversity and marine life such as corals, turtles, sharks, giant clams and fish. Our Incredible Great Barrier reef wonderland
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