The Great Barrier Reef
by Jennifer Remeta“An Underwater Paradise”
A home to life forms many people have never seen, the Great Barrier Reef is a marine universe of mammoth proportions. It stretches for over 1200 miles and is home to an immeasurable number of various species, making the Great Barrier Reef a true Eden of the sea. Originally discovered in the 1770 when the British explorer Captain James Cook literally ran his ship right into it. Though discovered in 1770, the reef is actually closer to two million years old. It consists of 940 separate islands, and 2900 different reefs, making it not only the largest natural phenomenon in the world, but also the largest structure ever built by living creatures.
And just where is the Great Barrier Reef? Ask any Aussie and you are more likely to get a chauffeured trip rather than spoken directions. The Great Barrier Reef is located along the Eastern coast of Queensland in the Coral Sea. And simply to remind all tourists of just how proud their country is of this natural wonder, it is also often known as the Great Barrier Reef Australia. The popularity of the reef has grown immensely in the past decade, especially with the tourism crowd. Unfortunately, while some human attention has had positive effects, such as the study of various corals and the increase in awareness of endangered species, the impact of pollution and damage to the reef by unknowing divers have created a significantly negative result. Six out of the seven known species of marine turtles call the Great Barrier Reef, Australia home. In recent years all six have become endangered. The turtles aren’t the only ones in trouble. Human infringement on this area has caused a severe threat to virtually every organism that calls the reef home.
The Great Barrier Reef boasts a wealth of marine life including:
• 1500 species of fish
• 360 species of hard corals
• One-third of the world's soft corals
• 4000 shell species
• 1500 sponge species
• 800 echinoderm species (eg: starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, etc…)
• 500 species of seaweed
• 30 species of water mammals
• Six of the seven known species of marine turtles
All of these organisms are part of the Great Barrier Reef food chain at one point or another. The various types of seaweed, coral and sponges provide feeding grounds for starfish, mollusks, and small fish. Larger fish in the Great Barrier Reef Australia, as well as 23 different species of marine mammals consider these small fish an excellent meal. Major predators like the whitetip or tiger shark then prey upon these larger mammals, with the byproducts serving to nourish coral and sponges, bringing the Great Barrier Reef food chain full circle.
In fact, this amazingly intricate food chain is currently serving as a hands-on teaching tool for marine biologists worldwide. The fish in the Great Barrier Reef Australia are plentiful and often breathtaking, with over 1500 separate species accounted for so far. These fish often make their home within the miles of coral that makes up the reef itself. Though this coral appears to be one giant being, in reality a top layer of tiny coral polyps, each a living organism in itself, join to create every inch of the impressive display. As with the fish in the Great Barrier Reef Australia, hundreds of different species of coral have been found, over 500 different types at last count. More marine biologists travel to the area every day to study, document, and hopefully help preserve the various life forms.
As the years progress and the dangers increase, knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef Australia is our biggest weapon in preventing it’s destruction. It is now a protected environment, making it the largest sanctuary and Marine Park in the entire world. It boasts the very first permanent coral reef study center in the world. In short, we are slowly taking the needed steps to preserve this natural wonder for the generations to come.
