How is the Great Barrier Reef damaged?

Answer 1

Fishing is dangerous for the Great Barrier Reef as many rare species of fish are being killed, which one day will become extinct. Furthermore, even just throwing litter into these waters will kill the habitats if the fish and will eventually. I was studying this topic last week in science and my science teacher told me that over the last 20 years, the reef size has gne down by 27% which is down the fact that people are damging it by pollution or fishing. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

The Great Barrier Reef, like any natural habitat, is damaged largely as a result of human impact. Although it does not have an official listing of endangered, it is shrinking, and it is unknown by how much, or whether this is permanent. 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 than 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 apparently done so in the past. There is evidence that the coral goes down much deeper than first thought, and this is an important factor in its regeneration. It is a very emotive topic.

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 damages the reef, as tourist boats damage the delicate framework of the reef; fishing and pollution left behind by visitors also is a threat. Shipping also damages the reef.

A natural threat to the Great Barrier Reef is the Crown of Thorns starfish. Outbreaks of this starfish are a constant threat to the animals of the Great Barrier Reef, though in small numbers it poses no threat.

Answer 3

tourism is doing damage to the great barrier reef by throwing litter in the water and polluting the water which is killing the corals and the whole great barrier reef.