The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, has been in danger for over 30 years. Located off of the northeast coast of Australia, it is the world’s largest coral reef system, and spans over 2,300 kilometers. A crucial contributor to Australia’s tourism, the Great Barrier Reef is visited by approximately 2 million people every year. However, in recent years, the Reef has been the subject of much controversy and debate about its future.
Global warming has caused immense damage to the Great Barrier Reef, and scientists are worried that its coral may never recover. Bleaching events occur when environmental changes, such as a rise in water temperatures, add stress to the coral. This stress forces corals to release algae from its living tissue, causing it to turn white. With this loss of algae, the coral loses its primary food source, resulting in a struggle for survival. In the past 30 years, the Reef has lost over half of its coral cover due in large part to coral bleaching. Damaging enough on its own, stress from bleaching, along with pollution runoff, has also made the Reef more vulnerable to starfish attacks. Several deadly Crown of Thorns starfish outbreaks have caused great damage to the reef as these starfish prey on coral. Additionally, fishing in the Reef has caused a significant population decrease in many endangered species, even pushing some to extinction. All of these issues are substantial challenges for the survival of the Reef and its future. Fortunately, Australia has committed a large amount of money and resources to protect the Great Barrier Reef’s future.
According to NPR, Australia is committing over 377 million USD to protect the Great Barrier Reef by limiting pollution, giving money to restoration groups, combating the rise of coral-eating starfish, and monitoring the overall condition of the Reef. The government plans to join forces with non-governmental organizations to improve coastal habitats and water quality throughout the reef and its surrounding areas and to implement techniques that prevent deadly starfish outbreaks. This plan would work in tandem with a plan to allocate 1.5 billion USD to research and management of the reef over the next decade. While this plan may seem great on paper, some critics have said that it is too little, too late, and that their current solutions to issues in the Reef may be rendered useless as ocean temperatures continue to rise. Australia’s initial efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef appear to be paying off; however, it will remain to be seen if this progress can be sustained in the face of mounting challenges from climate change. Regardless, the recovery of the Great Barrier Reef will be a very interesting storyline to follow in the coming decades.
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