...The Great Barrier Reef Ecosystem Biotic, Abiotic and Human The ecosystem I have selected to review is that of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is located in north eastern Australia off the coast of Queensland. It's a nearly 2,000 kilometer long natural wonderland of coral and sea life. A natural coral reef is a very fragile environment with many biotic and abiotic components working in a perfect harmony. Because of this balance, reefs are susceptible to natural variances, outside pollutants and human recklessness. Map of the Great Barrier Reef Biotic components that make up the Great Barrier Reef include all of the living plants, the coral itself and a multitude of animals that live in the coral. Nonliving factors make up the Abiotic component of the Great Barrier Reef, these includes physical influences such as temperature of the water, lighting and nutrients found in the water (these nutrients feed the coral and fish) Both abiotic and biotic have to work together in order for the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef to survive. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system and can be seen from space Humans civilization has also impacted the reef ecosystem. Farm land that borders the Great Barrier Reef often uses fertilizer that gets washed into the sea killing sea life and coral. Factories near the reef can put off pollutants into the soil, air, rivers, and other water sources. Fishing if done improperly such as with "dynamite...
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...offshore dumping Zoning Increasing funding for farmers to reduce run off through water quality- from budget. Budget increased by 25 million per annum for 4 years in oder to restore reef as of 1st July 2014. GBRMPA 1995 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 25 year plan. Justification; why save the reef? tourist attraction 7th wonder of the word contributes 6 billion to Australian economy produces 63 000 jobs The Great Barrier Reef is the longest coral reef structure in the world extending over 2300 km from papua new guinea on Queensland’s east coast. It renowned for it visibility from space considering it holds more than 2900 individual reefs and is home to over ‘6 300’ different species (wwf). Although this ecosystem is protected as a World Heritage site, it has still been significantly impacted by human activities, including pollution, mining and urban run off. Traditional management strategies have been a vast help over the past thousands of year but the severity of human impacts have dramatically increased in the past 50 years and contemporary strategies have been put into practise in attempt to reduce these. While the Great Barrier Reef stands as a beautiful testament to the power of natural construction, in recent years there have emerged numerous threats to the existence of the reef that loom and make its future fairly uncertain which is mainly due to the influence of man. Global warming is caused by the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which...
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...In ten years I envision myself living in the great country of Australia working as a divemaster in Cairns taking visitors on amazing trips throughout the Great Barrier Reef. Being the responsible person that I am, I also plan to get a Ph.D. in psychology so I have something to fall back on when I retire from the ocean. Maybe if I’m really lucky I’ll find a way to merge, we’ll see. I haven’t always seen my future this positively though. From sixth grade to junior year I really struggled in school, I just couldn’t make it click. I told my parents I thought I had ADHD, but when they asked my teachers about this they said I had to apply myself more, try harder, and that my failure was because I was lazy and “didn’t care” about my future. This was...
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...Great Barrier Reef loses half its coral in less than 30 years The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral cover in the last 27 years, according to a new study released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Based on over 2,000 surveys from 1985 to this year the study links the alarming loss to three impacts: tropical cyclone damage, outbreaks crown-of-thorns starfish that devour corals, and coral bleaching. "We can't stop the storms, and ocean warming (the primary cause of coral bleaching) is one of the critical impacts of the global climate change. However, we can act to reduce the impact of crown of thorns," says John Gunn, the head of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), which conducted the research. Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), the world's second largest seastar and a renowned predator of coral, have seen several outbreaks in the Great Barrier Reef during the past few decades. Outbreaks of the coral-chomping invertebrates are believed to have increased from one every 50-80 years to one every 15 years, which scientists have linked in part to fertilizer and chemical runoff from the mainland. In total, the researchers found that 42 percent of coral loss could be linked the crown-of-thorns outbreaks, 48 percent to tropical cyclones, and 10 percent to coral bleaching. The annual loss of coral cover has sped up as well, averaging 1.45 percent annually since 2006. This pummeling, occurring too quickly for...
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...has put the Great Barrier Reef into risk. It is observed to have reached the point where the possibility of it being listed in World Heritage in Danger list is greater. Words are delivered effectively by the government in working on protecting the reef however actions are of another way around. Thus, in June final decision on classifying the reef under the “Danger” list will be done by the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting up in Doha, Qatar. Significant improvement is anticipated otherwise the reef will be officially known for the damaged condition. Such situation shaped due to the failure in fulfilling seven recommendations upon the Committee’s request. Apart from the embarrassment the nation and the people need to bear, Australia tourism industry will be at stake as the reef is one of the best attraction in Australia. Review and Discussion. UNESCO, the United Nations (UN) agency that inculcates education, communication, and arts serves its purpose to conserve and preserve the world heritage. In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef was selected as World Heritage (Australian Government- Department of the Environment: Great Barrier Reef Has Lost Half Its Corals Since 1985, New Study Says, n.d). For years being one of the sources for the region economic growth, generation of over $3 billion yearly (Australian Government- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: Measuring the Economic and Financial Value of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park...
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...named global ecosystem – 15 Coral Reefs are a unique ecosystem, which usually grow in conditions where the temperate is around 24c and in less than 25m depth of water. Coral reefs are homes to over 25% of known sea creatures and are an invaluable service for the local population as a source of food and income. Coral Reefs are under huge stress due to the impact that human activities are having and in fact already 1/5 of the world’s coral reefs are so damaged that they are beyond repair. A global threat, which is affecting all fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs, is global warming. Firstly, the average increase in global temperatures is leading to an increased rate of ice cap melting. The melting of the ice caps releases more fresh water into the oceans, reducing salinity. The increased water volume is also increasing sea level rise; coral reefs find it difficult to survive in over 27m depth of water. The increase in sea temperatures can also change the nutrient flow. Coral bleaching is a devastating side effect of global warming which affects the corals. Coral bleaching is permanent damage and is occurring globally. The effects of the bleaching are worsened during El Nino years; in 1990 almost 50% of the worlds coral reefs were severely damaged. The most damaged reefs were in the Persian Gulf where 65% had been destroyed, followed by reefs in South Asia where 45% and 38% respectively, were considered destroyed. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia also witnessed a bleaching...
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...FSA 2012 – 9. kl. Engelsk Emner: sider: Topic 1: Australia 8,1 ns - The Lucky Country (Piece of Cake 3) 1,0 - The Opal People (Piece of Cake 3) 0,5 - Coober Pedy, Australia – Videoclip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRU--4CmH50 - Australian English (Piece of Cake 3) 0,8 - My trip to the Great Barrier Reef (Piece of Cake 3) 0,5 - The Great Barrier Reef – Videoclip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw_WjN-4n3U&feature=related - I Sentence You to … Go to Australia (Piece of Cake 3) 0,8 - My Boomerang (Piece of Cake 3) 0,5 - Film: Rabbit Proof Fence - Rabbit Proof Fence – Historicel Context 4,0 http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/hsie/aboriginal6/assets/pdf/rabbitproof.pdf (p. 1-5) Topic 2: Growing up 8,3 ns - Shelly Robinson (Piece of Cake 3) 2,3 - James Coia (Piece of Cake 3) 1,7 - Finally I did it (PS Sprog nr. 5 2008) 1,5 - Please, write back (Piece of Cake 3) 2,8 - Film: Romeo & Juliet Topic 3: Racism, Prejudice, Discrimination 8,0 ns -Friends across the divide (PS Praktisk Sprog 3/2011) 1,7 - Martin Luther King Jr. (Festivals) 2,9 - Passport to Apartheid (Passport to South Africa) 1,2 - The Struggle agaist Apartheid (Passport to South Africa) 1,2 - Nelson Mandela (http://www.famouspeoplelessons.com/n/nelson_mandela.html) 1,0 - Film: Good-bye, Bafana Topic 4: Glimpses of the USA 9,6 - The Amish...
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...around with their legs, also. | They swim. | What is the normal size or size range of the organism? | It ranges with their size, small, medium, or large | It ranges. But they are usually smaller. | They are very small fish. | How does the organism reproduce? (asexually or sexually) | sexually | Sexually. | sexually | What is the environmental function(s) or importance of the organism? | To be a pet? To make their owners happy. | To make owners happy | They have a special relationship with the anemone and are very important to them. | What is the habitat or environmental conditions that the organism needs? | A dog house, or yard, or someones home. | Cat house, yard, someones home. | Coral reefs, especially in the tropical regions. Great Barrier Reef |...
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...playground of the tourists who are mainly from more affluent ones. In many such nations, the influx of mainly western tourists has brought the problems, such as prostitution as well as alcoholism and drug abuse. Admittedly international tourism does have the potential to foster greater understanding and tolerance between people who are from different countries with different cultural background. however, this is unlikely to occur while it remains such a potent symptom of western cultural domination and moral decadence The even more disturbing, though, is the environmental degradation that international tourism has cause in many parts of the world. A particular good example of this is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia - the countless boats, divers and snorkelers that have visited the reef over the past few decades have gradually destroyed vast section of coral. Similarly, world renowned Kuta Beach in Bali has become heavily polluted in recent years. In order to be sustainable, greater regulation of global tourism is required. In conclusion, the challenges presented by the booming international tourist industry are numerous and complex. Although they are by no means insurmountable, it’s highly unlikey that they will be resolved in the foreseeable...
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...Acanthaster planci, commonly known as the crown-of-thorns starfish, is one of the largest starfish in the world. Yet, what makes A. planci unique is not just the fact that it is large, but the fact that it has an interesting diet. In particular, A. planci enjoys feeding on the coral reefs that dot the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This in and of itself wouldn’t be very interesting, except for the fact that A. planci is an incredibly efficient predator. In the late 1960’s up to ninety percent of the corals in affected areas off the coast of Guam were completely destroyed by A. planci predation (Colgan 1987). Some adult crown-of-thorns starfish can consume up to one metre squared per month of living corals (Chesher 1969)! A. planci also has a few interesting evolutionary adaptations, including venomous spines and a feeding method that includes everting its stomach through its mouth to digest prey (Ault et al 2011). Fascinatingly, A. planci has a very strange method of sexual reproduction that is based on spawning. Finally, A. planci has been the subject of intensive study over the last few decades, yet we still have no real idea as to what causes major infestations of A. planci, and we have barely any idea of how to control them. In this paper, we plan to spread some light on the life cycle, reproduction, feeding habits, predators, potential human causes, and human impacts of this obscure starfish. The appearance of the crown-of-thorns starfish is characterized by a purplish-blue...
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...Australian Marine Conservation Society Carly Angell University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Australia is a unique country full of different species of both land and sea creatures that are a part of its extremely diverse ecosystem. The Australian Marine Conservation Society, formally known as the Queensland Littoral Society, has worked for decades to defend the Great Barrier Reef against things like coral mining, oil drilling, overfishing, etc. It is also the only national charity in Australia that only works toward protecting the ocean wildlife. Without this nonprofit, who knows what would become of the Great Barrier Reef and its surrounding habitats. But before I talk about this extremely amazing nonprofit, a brief history on Australia will be given. Australia’s government is a variety of different governments from other countries such as British and U.S. governments. They have a Liberal Democratic government. Australia has one of the oldest democracies in the world. There are very little nonprofit organizations that are entirely dependent on government funding. All nonprofits are exempt from income tax, and depending on their activity, many nonprofits are exempt from paying other taxes such as fringe benefits tax, sales tax, and rates. Nonprofits play a very important role in the economy, society, and political system. Although they do help the social and political systems, it is far easier to measure the economic contributions. There is still a lot that...
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...Using examples, assess the relative importance of human and physical factors in influencing levels of biodiversity (15) Both physical and human factors influence biodiversity. On a global scale, climatic and soil fertility influences affect levels of biodiversity, although often human factors influence biodiversity at a local scale and increasingly globally. Biomes and large scale ecosystems such as coral reefs are influenced by limiting factors such as salinity of water which should remain constant, temperatures between 25 and 29 degrees C and adequate sunlight so turbidity level are low. The Great Barrier reef is home to 5,000 species of molluscs, 1,800 species of fish, 125 species of sharks. The age and size of an ecosystem is important in supporting high levels of biodiversity. On the island of Borneo, a biodiversity hotspot, has a number of endemic species and sustains high levels of biodiversity as there is range of altitudes supporting different niches and the size of the area supports many predators. At the local scale, threats from human activity such as deforestation can severely influence biodiversity levels. In Borneo, pristine rainforest was removed for timber and mineral exploitation and the result was a wasteland of yellow grass with low biodiversity. However, human factors can also benefit biodiversity as replanting of native species fertilized by cow urine has subsequently increased biodiversity in the area and the area has been designated an...
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...Oil Spill Environmental Diaster Thursday, April 29, 2010. The massive oil spill off the gulf coast is an environmental disaster. Since it was an oil rig that blew, the oil is leaking from an underwater well, deep in the ocean. It has been hard to calculate how much oil continues to leak, but today it appears to be leaking at the rate of 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000 as had been thought, and that the spill could reach the coast by Friday. And they don’t have a way to stop the leaking. This is different that the oil that leaked from a grounded ship over the coral reef in Australia this month. That was terrible due to the damage it did to the endangered (and supposedly protected) Great Barrier Reef. But the ship had a limited amount of oil. Since this is a well that is leaking, it seems as if the oil leak could go on and on until they find a way to cap the well. The oil slick is over 80 miles across. The coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are preparing for the oil to reach the shore line by as early as Friday. The military has been asked to help, and the Coast Guard are trying to burn the oil in the sea before it comes to the shoreline. Whew! The money made by the oil production could be off set by the loss of income by tourism to these coastal areas. The tension that exists between protecting our environment and increasing our energy sources like oil, coal, and nuclear power, seems to be very problematic. I hope they figure out a way to control this leak....
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...Hinchinbrook Island lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland Australia. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and wholly protected within the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, except for a small resort. It is the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef.[2] It is also the largest island national park in Australia.[3][4] On the mainland adjacent Hinchinbrook Island is Girringun National Park, Kirrama National Park, Edmund Kennedy National Park and the Cardwell Range hinterland which is part of the World Heritage Wet Tropics of Queensland. The Great Green Way spans the coastal region Cairns City to the north, with Townsville City to the south. Cardwell is a southern Cassowary Coast Town with a population of around 1,350. Natural heritage[edit] Hinchinbrook Island is made up of late Palaeozoic igneous rocks.[5] The main 16 km long pluton in the east of the island, the Hinchinbrook Granite, is composed of various hypersolvus granites and intrudes volcanics, granodiorites, and granites.[5][6] The island and coastal ranges are thought to have been thrust up as blocks with subsidence between them to form the coastal plain with the summit level of the island being an older dissected surface that has been uplifted to approximately 1k m or more above sea level. The Hinchinbrook Channel that separates the island from the mainland is considered to be fault controlled. Since the last Ice Age 18,000 years ago sea level has risen. Once there was...
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...which is a World Heritage Site, Kata Tjuta, also known as Mount Olga, and Devils Marbles. The third physical factor is the ranges, which consists of mountains and hills. The ranges let us see a series of mountains together. Climbing one of the mountains is a good experience for me as I had not tried mountain climbing before. Since they are ranges, there must be nice scenery there too. I would like to go there to see the beautiful scenery. Examples are Brindabella Ranges, visible to the west of Canberra, and Flinders Ranges, the largest mountain range in South Australia. The fourth physical factor is the reefs in Australia. The most well known reef in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s greatest gift from nature. It consists of a lot of marine life and consists of over 3000 individual reef system. I would not miss this chance to see the world’s largest reef if I were to go on a vacation to Australia. The fifth...
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