The Great Barrier Reef: Threats, Values, and Conservation

Running Head: THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
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The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s biggest coral reef, and it is composed of
more than 2900 reefs and approximately 900 islands that stretch for more than 2000 kilometers
over an area of approximately 350,000 square kilometers. The reef is on the coast of Queensland
Australia. The reef is composed of billions of minute organisms commonly known as coral
polyps. A large part of this area is covered by the Great Barrier Reef marine park. The park is
helpful in limiting the impacts of human consumption like in fishing and tourism.
The Great Barrier Reef for a long time has been used by the Australian and the strait
islander people and forms an important part of the culture and spirituality of the people who live
around the place. The reef is an important destination for tourists mostly in Whitsunday islands
and the claims region. Tourism is one of the most important economic activities in Australia.
Research shows that tourism as an economic activity yields AUD 3.1 billion per year. Research
shows that coral bleaching is widely spread and has been affecting the Northern part of the reefs
and the warming temperatures of the ocean have caused this. As a result of high temperatures of
water, there has been an emerging threat of the increase in global climate change (Bennett,
2014).
The reef supports a diversity of lives including the endangered species which in most
cases may be very endemic in the reef system. Cetaceans is an example of a species that was
identified at the Great Barrier Reef, and the species include dwarf minke whale, indo pacific and
also the humpback. An approximate of 1500 species of fish live in these reefs including red
throat emperor, coral trout, and red bass among others. Seventeen snake species live in these
reefs in warm waters of up to 50 meters deep, and they are more common in the southern than in
the northern part of the area. Those found in the Great Barrier Reef are not endangered and are
not endemic too. Saltwater crocodiles live in the mangrove and also the salt marshes near the

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reefs on the coast (ohnson & Marshall, 2015). An approximate of 125 species of sharks dwell in
the reefs together with stingray, skates and even a chimera. The mollusks in these reefs amount
to approximately five thousand species while the frogs that inhabit the islands amount to around
seven thousand species.
At least two hundred and fifteen species of birds’ nest this Great Barrier Reef on the
islands and some of them include white-bellied sea eagle among others. The most nesting sites in
these areas are found on the northern and southern parts, and they use the sites to breed. There
are more than 2000 tree species also supported by this area, and birds mostly propagate the
plants.
Social costs
The Great Barrier Reef is named one of the most significant global icon which is under
much pressure. The most significant risks to the barrier remain unchanged notwithstanding the
right actions that were taken in the year 2009. The most dangerous threats faced by the reef
include climate change, poor quality of water, the d3evelopment of the coast which affects the
inhabitant that support the reef and the illegal fishing that takes place in the area (Furnas, 2014).
There exist cumulative effects of these risks that weaken the resilience of the reef and hence
affect its ability to recover from any serious disturbances. Some of the risks are also discussed
below.
Changes in climate
Climate change is considered to be one of the greatest threats in the Great Barrier Reef.
The latter leads to ocean warming which leads to an increase in coral bleaching. Coral bleaching
has been brought up by the increased temperatures. With the continued global warming, coral

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reefs are expected to be popular as years go by. Coral bleaching is known to cause increased
susceptibility to diseases which lead to ecological effects for the reef societies (De’ath , Fabricius
, & Sweatman, 2015).
Climate change has diverse effects on the living organisms in the reefs. The increased
temperature range makes some species of fish to vacate their habitats, and this leads to increased
chick mortality in the seabirds that are predatory. The sea turtles that live in the habitat will also
be affected in their population that is available in that habitat ( Lough & Fabricius, 2013).
Pollution
Pollution is another threatening factor that is affecting the Great Barrier Reef and also the
declining quality of water. During the events of tropical floods, the rivers emanating from the
North Eastern part of Australia. Approximately, 90% of this runoff comes from farms. The
farming practices that are practiced in or near the Great Barrier Reef damage the reef as a result
of overgrazing, increased deposits and runoff of fertilizers and agricultural sediments, herbicides,
pesticides among others (Marshall & Baird, 2015). The latter poses a very great danger to the
health of living organisms living in the area and also the biodiversity of the reefs. The sediments
contain high levels of copper and other heavy metals that come from Papua New Guinea and
they pose a very high risk to the North Part of Great Barrier Reef and also in Torres Strait.
The disappearance of the coastal wetland
The runoff is brought about and triggered by the loss of the coastal wetlands which are
natural filters for toxins also aid in the deposition of sentiments. The poor water quality is
thought to be caused by the increased competition of the levels of light and oxygen from the
algae (Randall . , Allen , & Steene, 2015).