Welcome to the Great Barrier Reef!

Let’s take a look around!

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland Australia. As Earth’s largest living structure it can be seen from space. It has almost 3,000 individual reefs with 10% of the world’s fish residing there. From lumbering sea cows to spectacular looking coral it really is an incredibly diverse ecosystem.

It’s hardly surprising that this is a bucket list destination for many a tourist. In fact over 2 million people visit the Great Barrier Reef every year, giving local people jobs and bringing money into Australia.

You’d be forgiven for thinking coral is non-living. But actually it’s alive! Corals are formed by tiny creatures called polyps. Corals gain that rock-like appearance from the polyps as they use calcium and carbonate from the seawater. This creates a hard outer shell which protects them. They have a close relationship with the algae as it absorbs the light from the sun which feeds the coral and gives it those amazing bright colours.

5 cool facts

1. Does my coral look old in this?

Living corals sit on older, dead structures. These corals could be up to 20 million years old!

1. Reproduction frenzy

Corals reproduce once a year. Each polyp releases its genetic matter creating a beautiful sight which can even be visible from space! One single polyp has the potential to start a brand new reef.

1. That’s a lot of football

The Great Barrier Reef is the size of 70 million football pitches!

1. Picture perfect

The Great Barrier Reef is made up of over 900 islands. Some may be little more than a patch of sand whilst others attract large numbers of tourists.

1. Legend of the Great Barrier Reef

According to Aboriginal culture, two brothers went out fishing and were told NOT to kill a sacred fish. They ignored this sage advice and killed it anyway, triggering the wrath of the elements. Lava was sent from the sky to the water causing sea levels to rise, destroying the coast and creating the Great Barrier Reef.

5 residents of the Great Barrier Reef

1. The pint sized octopus that packs a punch

This little fella is a blue-ringed octopus. But don’t let his size fool you. They have enough venom to kill 26 humans within minutes and the poison is 1,000 times more powerful than cyanide!

1. The cow of the seas

The dugong is a species of sea cow but are actually more closely related to elephants. They can suffer from constipation which makes it hard for them to dive!

1. Tough teeth

These beautiful parrotfish have teeth that are stronger than many metals. They need this to munch on coral. Their poo contributes to much of the coral sand and can even help form coral reef islands.

1. The most cerebral of all the corals

These incredible looking brain corals can grow six feet tall and live for 900 years!

1. Bottom feeder

If you’re having a bad day just be thankful you’re not a pearlfish. During the day they swim up the backside of the sea cucumber, coming out at night to feed.

Why did the shark cross the Great Barrier Reef?

To get to the other tide.

What issues face the Great Barrier Reef?

Rising sea temperatures

Warmer oceans, pollution and too much sun. These spell disaster for our beautiful coral reefs. As the coral gets stressed, the algae starts leaving the coral which causes it to turn completely white. Although not yet dead, they are much more likely to die off. Mass bleaching took place on the Great Barrier Reef during 2016 and 2017 killing half of the shallow water corals.

The impact on marine life is immense. The coral is a food source, somewhere to hide from predators and their home.

Overfishing

Unsustainable fishing on coral reefs can lead to depletion of certain species which impacts the entire ecosystem. Anchors and fishing gear has also been known to cause serious damage to the fragile corals as well as seagrass beds and marine habitats.

‘In Danger’ recommendation

Unesco has recently recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be listed as ‘in danger’ due to climate change. This has caused some controversy with the Australian Government who are opposing such a move. They are worried that this would result in the Great Barrier Reef losing its World Heritage status and popularity with tourists.

Positive News

1. Coral Nurture Program

By partnering with tourism and science, the Coral Nurture Program is helping to ensure that reef sites with high coral cover stay healthy. They have designed a coral clip that ‘glues’ coral onto the reef and allows it to start growing.

1. Cloud Brightening Technology

Cloud-seeding technology has been used to add tiny particles to the atmosphere so water vapor can become droplets and form reflective clouds. This takes the heat away from the ocean and the coral. Nifty!

1. Coral babies

Austrian scientists used a robot to carry heat tolerant coral larvae into the Great Barrier Reef. They used coral that survived previous bleaching events as they will be more likely to survive future stress.

What can you do to help?

1. Be Reef Safe

If you’re swimming in our oceans, especially around reefs, use eco-friendly suncreams. Not only do they have less chemicals but they are safe for reefs and aquatic life

1. Coral Crusader

The Reef Restoration Foundation allows you to adopt a coral which will be grown on the Great Barrier Reef.

1. Help tackle climate change by reducing your carbon footprint. Walk and cycle more!

Positive impacts with Earth Cubs

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