Case Study Great Barrier Reef 
Case Study 1: Great Barrier Reef -
1. Introduction
Coral reefs are on the most complex ecosystems on earth. They are predominantly found in the Indian Ocean and on the Western edges of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The global distribution of coral reefs is influenced by a number of factors, including life and sea surface temperature.
Coral reefs require such a unique set of biophysical interactions that they are highly vulnerable to human-induced change. For example, just a small change in sea surface temperature is enough to result in the collapse of a whole reef system.
The Great Barrier Reef is, in fact, a collection of more than 2000 individual reefs. It is the largest reef system in the world and is regarded as one of the most significant and spectacular environments on earth.
2. Spatial Patterns and Dimensions: Location, Altitude, Latitude, Size, Shape and Continuity
Students Learn To
Location / Latitude and Longitude
The Great Barrier Reef is a vast, complex ecosystem located off the east coast of northern Queensland. It stretches approximately 2300km from Papua New Guinea’s Fly River in the north (8˚S) to Fraser Island in the south (24˚S).
Size
Overall the Great Barrier Reef system covers an area of 348 000km2. This makes the reef system larger than the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the Netherlands Combined.
3 Sections of the Reef
1. Southern Section
The inshore waters are frequently turbid with sediments brought by the river systems and resuspended by wave action generated by the southeast trade winds
2. Central Section
The central section extends northward from 21˚30’S to approximately 14˚30’S. The continental shelf and the inshore lagoon become gradually narrower
Three major river systems drain into the lagoon relatively sparsely scattered and there is no distinct outer line of reef abutting the Pacific
3. Northern Section
The Northern Section of the Great Barrier Reef runs from about 14˚30’S to the Torres Strait at approximately
1. Introduction
Coral reefs are on the most complex ecosystems on earth. They are predominantly found in the Indian Ocean and on the Western edges of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The global distribution of coral reefs is influenced by a number of factors, including life and sea surface temperature.
Coral reefs require such a unique set of biophysical interactions that they are highly vulnerable to human-induced change. For example, just a small change in sea surface temperature is enough to result in the collapse of a whole reef system.
The Great Barrier Reef is, in fact, a collection of more than 2000 individual reefs. It is the largest reef system in the world and is regarded as one of the most significant and spectacular environments on earth.
2. Spatial Patterns and Dimensions: Location, Altitude, Latitude, Size, Shape and Continuity
Students Learn To
Location / Latitude and Longitude
The Great Barrier Reef is a vast, complex ecosystem located off the east coast of northern Queensland. It stretches approximately 2300km from Papua New Guinea’s Fly River in the north (8˚S) to Fraser Island in the south (24˚S).
Size
Overall the Great Barrier Reef system covers an area of 348 000km2. This makes the reef system larger than the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the Netherlands Combined.
3 Sections of the Reef
1. Southern Section
The inshore waters are frequently turbid with sediments brought by the river systems and resuspended by wave action generated by the southeast trade winds
2. Central Section
The central section extends northward from 21˚30’S to approximately 14˚30’S. The continental shelf and the inshore lagoon become gradually narrower
Three major river systems drain into the lagoon relatively sparsely scattered and there is no distinct outer line of reef abutting the Pacific
3. Northern Section
The Northern Section of the Great Barrier Reef runs from about 14˚30’S to the Torres Strait at approximately