Great Barrier Reef Research Paper
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Image Source: Book Today, 2013
Discovering the world’s largest coral reef system
Nicholas Buss – s2797651
1303ENV – Earth Sciences
Course Convenor – James Furse
Course Tutor – Dr William Bennett
Introduction
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of planet earth and is the only living system large enough to be seen from space and even the moon (Bowen, 2002). The reef currently attracts more than 1.6 million tourists to Queensland’s north-east coastline alluring visitors to is fascinating and very colourful biodiversity of plant and animal species (Bowen, 2002). The reef consists of 17 islands within the area including Hinchinbrook Island and The Whitsundays of which many holiday …show more content…
Coral reef systems cover approximately 284,300 sq. km and just under 0.1% of the ocean’s surface area yet they provide habitats for approximately 25% of all marine species (UNEP, 2001). Whilst the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, it is followed by other large coral reef systems including the ‘Mesoamerican barrier reef’ which stretches 1000km from the Yutacan Peninsula in south-east Mexico to the Bay Islands of the Honduras as well as the ‘New-Caledonia Barrier Reef’ which is the second largest duble barrier reef in the world (UNEP, 2001). Other large coral reef systems are also found the Bahamas, Philippines, United States as well various islands around the world. Whilst corals are found extensively across the coastlines of many countries they can also exist in deep water however very little is known about them.
Climatic conditions generally determine the distribution of coral reefs as they can exist in both temperate and tropical waters. Through global warming the coral reefs in the Persian Gulf have now adapted through winter temperatures below 18 ° Celsius where they were unable to grow previously therefore the warming conditions of the planet are in fact allowing coral reefs to grow in areas they previously couldn’t but as …show more content…
2002,’The Great Barrier Reef History, Science, Heritage’ Cambridge University Press, Australia
Cotes, A., 1998,’The Great Barrier Reef – Australia’s Tropical Paradise’, New Holland Publishers, Australia
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 1999, ‘Reef Manual’, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Australia
Queensland Museum, 2013,’ Biodiversity and the Great Barrier Reef’, Date Accessed: 11 Sep 2013, Available Online: <http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/03sponges-and- corals/structure-classification-function.html>
UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), 1980,‘The World Heritage Convention’. Paris: UNESCO
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme),’World Atlas of Coral Reefs’ 2001 University of California Press, California U.S.A
Wells, S., Hanna N.,’Greenpeace Book of Coral Reefs’, Sterling Publishing, USA
Wood, R, 1999, ‘Reef Evolution’, Oxford University Press, New York
Image Source: Book Today, 2013
Discovering the world’s largest coral reef system
Nicholas Buss – s2797651
1303ENV – Earth Sciences
Course Convenor – James Furse
Course Tutor – Dr William Bennett
Introduction
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of planet earth and is the only living system large enough to be seen from space and even the moon (Bowen, 2002). The reef currently attracts more than 1.6 million tourists to Queensland’s north-east coastline alluring visitors to is fascinating and very colourful biodiversity of plant and animal species (Bowen, 2002). The reef consists of 17 islands within the area including Hinchinbrook Island and The Whitsundays of which many holiday …show more content…
Coral reef systems cover approximately 284,300 sq. km and just under 0.1% of the ocean’s surface area yet they provide habitats for approximately 25% of all marine species (UNEP, 2001). Whilst the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, it is followed by other large coral reef systems including the ‘Mesoamerican barrier reef’ which stretches 1000km from the Yutacan Peninsula in south-east Mexico to the Bay Islands of the Honduras as well as the ‘New-Caledonia Barrier Reef’ which is the second largest duble barrier reef in the world (UNEP, 2001). Other large coral reef systems are also found the Bahamas, Philippines, United States as well various islands around the world. Whilst corals are found extensively across the coastlines of many countries they can also exist in deep water however very little is known about them.
Climatic conditions generally determine the distribution of coral reefs as they can exist in both temperate and tropical waters. Through global warming the coral reefs in the Persian Gulf have now adapted through winter temperatures below 18 ° Celsius where they were unable to grow previously therefore the warming conditions of the planet are in fact allowing coral reefs to grow in areas they previously couldn’t but as …show more content…
2002,’The Great Barrier Reef History, Science, Heritage’ Cambridge University Press, Australia
Cotes, A., 1998,’The Great Barrier Reef – Australia’s Tropical Paradise’, New Holland Publishers, Australia
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 1999, ‘Reef Manual’, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Australia
Queensland Museum, 2013,’ Biodiversity and the Great Barrier Reef’, Date Accessed: 11 Sep 2013, Available Online: <http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/03sponges-and- corals/structure-classification-function.html>
UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), 1980,‘The World Heritage Convention’. Paris: UNESCO
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme),’World Atlas of Coral Reefs’ 2001 University of California Press, California U.S.A
Wells, S., Hanna N.,’Greenpeace Book of Coral Reefs’, Sterling Publishing, USA
Wood, R, 1999, ‘Reef Evolution’, Oxford University Press, New York