Great Barrier Reef Research Papers

With a show of hands, how many people know about the Great Barrier Reef? The Great Barrier Reef is located off of the coast of Queensland in Australia. It is actually the largest living thing on Earth, and is even visible from outer space. One thing you may not have known about reefs is that they can only stay alive under a very specific and narrow temperature range. If the water becomes too warm, it can eventually kill the coral. Sadly, this is exactly what has happened this year. According to data recently released, El Niño, the heating of the Pacific ocean region, has resulted in bleaching throughout the entire Great Barrier Reef. Coral and the algae that give the coral their beautiful, bright colors, depend on one another to survive. If
the coral is stressed due to factors like pollution or rising ocean temperatures, the algae leaves the coral and the coral itself becomes bleached. There is a chance that the algae would return if the ocean’s temperature went back to its optimal temperature. However, if the temperature remains high, then the corals will become bleached and will indeed start to die off. This is exactly what has happened this year.