 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
The first European explorer to see the Great Barrier Reef was Captain James Cook during his 1768 voyage. Cook discovered the reef by running aground on it June 11th 1770.
Due to its vast biodiversity, warm clear waters and its accessibility from the floating guest facilities called ' live aboards', the Reef is a very popular destination for scuba divers. Many cities along the Queensland coast offer boat trips to the reef on a daily basis. Several continental islands have been turned into resorts.
The Great Barrier Reef is sometimes referred to as the single largest living animal being in the world. In reality it is many colonies of corals.
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The most significant threat to the future of the Great Barrier Reef and of the planet's other tropical reef ecosystems is global warmingGlobal warming is an increase over time of the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans. Global warming theories attempt to account for the documented rise in average global temperatures since the late 19th century and assess the extent to whi. Many of the corals of the Great Barrier Reef are currently living at the upper edge of their temperature tolerance, as demonstrated in the coral bleachingCoral bleaching is a vivid symptom of the stresses already being caused by global warming. The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend on symbiotic photosynthesizing unicellular algae called zooxanthellae' that events of the summers of 19981998 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of the Ocean''. Events January January 1998 A massive ice storm, caused by El Nino, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting and 20022002 is a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). 2002 was the first palindromic year since 1991 and the last until 2112. 2002 was also designated: International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains National Science Year in the United Kingdom. Under the stress of waters that remain too warm for too long, corals expel their photosynthesizing zooanthellae and turn colourless, revealing their white skeletons, and soon die. Global warming has triggered the collapse of reef ecosystems throughout the tropics. Increased global temperatures bring more violent tropical storms, but reef systems are naturally resilient and recover from storm battering.
In recent years, run-off from agriculture, especially sugarcanespontaneum ''S. robustum ''S. officinarum ''S. barberi ''S. sinense ''S. edule Ref: as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was th fields, has had a significant impact. Increased silting and coral bleaching have killed large areas of the reef. It is unknown what effect the recent near collapse of the Australian sugar industry will have.
Crown-of-Thorns starfishCrown-of-Thorns starfish Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Valvatida Family: Acanthasteridae Genus Acanthaster Species planci The Crown-of-Thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci is a coral reef predato are predators of corals. When the reef system is out of balance, Crown-of-thorns populations can explode. Several popular areas of the reef have been severely damaged by Crown-of-thorn attacks in recent decades.The sheer number of visitors to the reef is itself a problem. Popular areas like Green IslandGreen Island can refer to: Green Island, Boston Outer Harbor Green Island, Hong Kong Green Island, Ontario. have suffered considerable damage from tourists.
On July 1, 2004 the reef became the largest sea reserve in the world when the Australian Environment Ministry increased the protected area from 4.5% to 33.3%. It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1981.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|