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Great Barrier Reef
Located in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef and encompasses an area of 133,000 square miles.
476 Questions
What is the average salinity of the great barrier reef?
Reef corals exist in seawatersalinities ranging from 25 to 42 per cent. At the lower end of the salinity tolerance range, following storm and flood events, corals can be killed by 'freshwaters'. Symptoms of coral stress caused by lowered salinities include excessive mucous release and loss of zooxanthellae (bleaching). Salinity impacts to corals are increased by other flood related stresses such as sedimentation, turbidity and increased ultraviolet radiation exposure. For example, shallow reefs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Keppel Island region suffered almost complete mortality due to prolonged salinity stress following the 1991 Fitzroy River floods, and 50 per cent of the fringing reefs around Great Barrier Reef Snapper Island were killed by freshwater flood run-off in 1998.
What are the coordinates of the Great Barrier Reef?
The water temperature of the Great Barrier Reef varies between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius (71 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the season and on how far north one travels. As the reef extends for 2300 km down the coast of Queensland, it will tend to be warmer further north.
Winter temperatures do not change dramatically, as the majority of the reef is in tropical and subtropical waters, and coral requires a constant warm temperature range.
What do Red Bass eat in The Great Barrier Reef.?
here is a great food web for the great barrier reef, this is what i used for my assignment
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215502/gbrweb.html
:-) good luck!
Why is the Great Barrier Reef important to Queensland?
The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia, is the largest coral reef in the world, almost 2000km long, with its coral cays and islands spreading over 300,000 square kilometres. It is unique and important to Queensland for several reasons.
It was placed on the World Heritage List in 1981 because of all its colourful marine life and its unique ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef is significant for its scientific value: the health of the Reef points to the health of the ocean, and the creeks and rivers that feed into it, as well as signifying the general effects of pollution. It is of considerable concern that numbers of unique species such as dugong and loggerhead turtles have declined significantly since the 1960s, largely due to human intervention. The Reef shelters many endangered species.
On an economic note, the Great Barrier Reef generates $AU2 billion in tourism dollars every year. All countries trade on their commodities, and tourism is one of Australia's. To lose the reef would be to lose an enormous source of trade for Australia.
What omnivores are in the Great Barrier Reef?
the only one I know is Mullusks. the eat seaweed, coral, small fish, and other mullusks.
Does a great white shark live near a coral reef?
yes! they can also live in: Arctic, Central Pacific, South Pacific, Tropical Eastern Pacific, Chilean, Western North Atlantic, Caribbean, Amazonian, Argentinean, Eastern North Atlantic/Mediterranean, West African, Southern African, Central South Indian, Madagascaran, Arabian, Indian, South East Asian, Western Australian, Southeast Australian/New Zealand, Northern Australian, Japanese
What are the conservation efforts in the Great Barrier Reef?
Australia is banning fishing in some areas, also it is expanding the protected areas and Australians are preserving water and throwing trash in the right place also scientists are researching the ways coral bleaching occurs and how they might prevent it
What are some tourist attractions of the great barrier reef?
Scuba Diving, exploring the reef itself, fishing.
Why is the Great Barrier Reef a barrier?
The great barrier reef is being destroyed becuase of global warming, pollution and other factors. Most of it is due to people though.
Further information:
The Great Barrier Reef is not actually almost being destroyed. It does not even have an official listing of endangered: but it is shrinking, and it is unknown by how much.
Climate scientists who subscribe to the theory of anthropogenic global warming (i.e. caused by man's activities) predict that the Great Barrier Reef may lose up to 95% of its coral by the middle of the current century. Although the coastline parallel to the Great Barrier Reef has been settled by Europeans for less then 200 years, these scientists believe that the Reef has been shrinking by 20% every 100 years.
Climate scientists who subscribe to the theory that global warming is cyclical perhaps have a less drastic view, as they believe that the coral will regenerate, as it has done so in the past. Destruction and regeneration is all part of the reef's natural cycle. parts of tye northern Great Barrier Reef that have been damaged during a warming cycle have been found to regenerate after just twelve years.
However, it should be noted that pollution and chemical runoff pose a very real threat to the reef. The water quality of the reef is affected by sediment and nutrients, and 80% of this is caused by cattle grazing on the land adjacent to the reef. Mud and chemical runoff tend to limit the sunlight that reaches the coral, causing it to die off, and they increase the macro-algae, which is a weed.
Tourism is a threat to the reef, as tourist boats damage the delicate framework of the reef; fishing and pollution left behind by visitors also is a threat.
Barrier reefs begin as fringing reefs along the shores of a volcano. Then over millions of years the volcano sinks lower into the sea and the sea level rises around the volcano. The coral grows upwards to keep from getting too far from the sunlight at the sea surface. The outward side of the coral reef grows fastest, since ocean currents bring in the plankton that the corals feed on. The water on the landward side of the reef is still and there is less oceanic plankton. Here the reef is unable to grow fast enough to keep up with the rising sea level and is eventually drowned. A lagoon develops between the reef and the land, resulting in the characteristic barrier reef shape.
What is the most common barrier used on roads?
Traffic Cones.
Jersey Barriers.
Traffic Barrels.
Delineators.
Frame Barriers.
Why is Australia concerned about the protection of the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef, like any biome, supplies a unique niche for certain marine animals and plants. Slow destruction of the reef through pollution is resulting in the loss of numerous species. In caring for the Great Barrier Reef, one is helping to protect and preserve these species for future generations.
What kind of clothing should you bring to go to the coral reef?
I would say a man-kini because it will be the most comfortable thng and you will all so be abe to get a tan.
When did the Europeans discover the Great Barrier Reef?
Although the Australian indigenous people knew of the Great Barrier Reef for thousands of years, the first European discovery of the reef was made in 1770.
In June 1770, Lieutenant James Cook became the first known European to sail up the eastern coast of Australia. His ship Endeavour ran aground on the reef just outside where the town of Cooktown now lies, and nearly sank. The Endeavour managed to stay afloat for another week whilst the crew sought desperately for land, eventually sighting the harbour formed by the Endeavour River. The ship was landed on 10 June 1770, and Cook spent almost two months repairing it, thus giving rise to the fledgling township of Cooktown.
Cook did not name the Great Barrier Reef, however. That was done by Matthew Flinders in 1801.
Where are the people from that visit the Great Barrier Reef?
People who visit the Great Barrier Reef come from all over the world, as well as from Australia itself.
Why is the coral in the Great Barrier Reef important?
The Great Barrier Reef Coral Is Important because it's its Part of the Ocean. They Have All Different types of oceans that have A Coral Reef In Cause its not just The Great Barrier Reef it's other Oceans Aswell. And the coral gets destroyed by the boats that go in the sea they chop of most of the Coral In the bottom of the sea. Even sometimes people rip the coral and take it home with them. Did You know a coral Reef Is A Living Plant That is alive but once a boat or somebody rips the coral reef It Die's ...
Will you find a platypus in the Great Barrier Reef?
No, platypuses live in inland freshwater environments in mainland Australia, not in the ocean.
Why does the Australian government want to protect the Great Barrier Reef?
The Austrailian government wants to protect the reef because it gives them great amounts of revenue from tourism and it is an important ecosystem that has a major impact on many austrailians such as fishing, tourism, ect.
Are there sea shells in the Great Barrier Reef?
Yes. Seals are one of several protected species in the Great Barrier Reef.
Is the Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific Ocean?
The Great Barrier Reef is specifically located in the Coral Sea, which is part of the southern Pacific Ocean.
How is the Great Barrier Reef being used by people?
The Great Barrier Reef is used mostly tourism these days and what they like to do while there is snorkeling, diving, sight seeing on the reef or they just like to do something more relaxing like have lunch on the pontoon or just have a nice swim.
What is the distance between Sydney Australia and the Great Barrier Reef?
The southern end of the Great Barrier Reef begins just northeast of Bundaberg, Queensland, and it is a distance of 1 294 km, or 804 miles from Sydney.
However, the Great Barrier Reef then continues north up the Queensland coast, and one of the most popular cities from which to take tours to the Reef is Cairns. The driving distance from Sydney to Cairns is around 2700km.
What is the top predator in the great barrier reef?
The obvious one is the bull shark and the great white but other strange carnivorous animals live there such as, this type of coral, a snail with a poisoners sharp tooth that comes out like a dagger. I am sorry that I don't know the names of these sea life or know more but hope that this has answered your question.
