The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the northeastern coast of Australia.  The reef is over 1,200 miles long and is the largest structure created by a living organism in the world!
 
Reefs are made up of coral, which is not a plant but a living marine polyp.    There are over 400 kinds of coral which are many different colors.  They grow in warm waters where there is plenty of sunlight. This is necessary because they feed on plankton.  The sunlight allows algae to grow, which is what the plankton feed on.

Coral reefs are actually made up of living and dead coral. The white part is made of millions of dead polyps. The more colorful areas are the living polyps of the coral reef.

There are over 1,500 species of fish, and over 500 species of seaweed that live in the Great Barrier Reef.
 

Reef in Danger!
The Great Reef is in trouble.
A Natural Disaster...

The Crown of Thorns starfish is eating the reef.  They are multiplying rapidly and are a deadly problem for the reef.

Human Environment Interaction...


People are also destroying the reef  through carelessness.  Walking, taking souveniers, dropping ship anchors,  overfishing, and poisons are some of the deadly interactions that people are having with the reef.

People use explosives to catch many fish at once for profit, which ruins the reef.  They also use a poison called cyanide to stun fish and capture them easily. They can then sell them for more money to collectors because they are alive. Fishermen also use drag nets which snag the coral and break off large chunks.

People are also having a negative effect although they are often just trying to help.
 

 
 
 
 With all it's beauty, people are coming from around the world to visit the reef.  Although many people simply want to observe, all that traffic can have a negative effect. Conservationist are interested in protecting the reef, but there must be a balance between humans and nature for the reef to survive.