Its shallow seas and coral networks stretch 2,300km along Australia's Pacific coast. It can affect the Reef in a number of ways, including increased frequency of severe weather events, ocean acidification, rising sea temperature and rising sea levels. Australia's Great Barrier Reef is great in every way. To stop any further proposals for damaging activities, ACF and other community groups ran a national campaign to protect the reef under Australian law. Australia's Academy of Science says the reef is degraded and its condition is worsening. See what’s inside: “We recommend the use of reef-safe sunscreen free of oxybenzone,” says Peter Gash, managing director of Lady Elliot Island, near the Great Barrier Reef. But the scope of these remote communities must extend beyond mere 'slacktivism'. Help protect these endangered species. This will bolster efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef and help conserve marine animals such as turtles and dugongs. Seeing the reef is important in engaging us in its future, they argue, but the big elephant in the sky: aviation. Joining a volunteer trip with a conservation aspect is one of the best ways that you can both experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as have a significant impact on efforts to protect it. But tour operators say much of the reef still thrives, and their boats can help protect it. Queensland has established the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce to provide advice on the best approach to achieve up to 80 per cent reduction in nitrogen run-off and up to 50 per cent reduction in sediment run-off in key catchments by 2025. A plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef will not prevent its decline. Care for the Reef … If coral becomes extinct in the Great Barrier Reef, the money and jobs created from the reef will become obsolete as well. A major challenge is to dramatically improve water quality in reefs adjacent to this land.But it’s not going to be cheap, with one recent estimate recommending a $10bn effort spread over 10 years to make any real difference (though new estimates of the real worth of the GBR makes this look like a worthwhile investment). The main contributors harming the reef are climate change, intensive urban development, and farming. In 1975, the Australian government responded – officially declaring the Great Barrier Reef a national marine park. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most beautiful places on earth. North Queensland’s iconic Great Barrier Reef will be better protected thanks to the Morrison Government’s investment in a $36.3 million research facility near Townsville. There’s only one way to save the Great Barrier Reef, scientists conclude By Dennis Normile Mar. In recent years, there have been an estimated 14.6 million recreational visits per year to the marine park from residents in the GBR catchment, with an additional 1.9 million visitor days from tourists carried by commercial operators into the GBR.1,2 Tourism, recreational activities, and commercial … It keeps storms from causing damage to houses and people. Parts of Opal Reef, a popular dive tourism site and one of more than 2,900 individual reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef system, suffered catastrophic mortality during the recent bleaching. Sit down and do some research into the tours you’re booking and always opt for eco-friendly offers. We are … One of the world's seven natural wonders, it is a prized World Heritage Area, the largest coral reef system and the biggest living structure on the planet. In a time when global warming is changing our Australian landscape, affecting the Great Barrier Reef and burning our beloved bush, it's easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed. 15, 2017, 2:00 PM The only sure way to preserve … A ustralia’s Great Barrier Reef runs for more than 2000km along northern Queensland’s coastline. It sprawls over a jaw-dropping 344,400 square kilometres – an area so large that it can be seen from space. Natural beauty aside, the GBR’s social and economic value is significant, particularly for the one million residents who live in the adjoining areas. Yes, says the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which issues permits to boat operators in the accessible pockets of the reef (about 7% of the total area). How do we save the Great Barrier Reef? T he Great Barrier Reef is not a museum piece that can be preserved or maintained in any kind of constant state. The recent Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report for 2009 (by the Australian Government) states that if we want to keep the reef alive we need to halt carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere at current levels around 400 parts per million (ppm). How to Protect the Great Barrier Reef from Climate Change Changes to the reef must be monitored closely, with an overall objective of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. You can help to conserve and protect the Great Barrier Reef by moving beyond the negative press and doing one simple thing. The Great Barrier Reef is home to one of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Oh, and it’s the largest living organism on Earth. Currently, 80 per cent of tourism on the reef occurs in less than 10 per cent of the area of the Marine Park. In July 2015, the committee met and unanimously agreed not to place the Great Barrier Reef on the world heritage ‘in danger’ list. Clearly, the Great Barrier Reef is important and immediate action needs to be taken to protect it from disappearing. It sounds frightening to allow this many people in contact with an ecosystem we are so desperate to protect. In this year’s Budget the Government provided funding to expand the National Sea Simulator (SeaSim), a specially designed facility for climate related coral reef research. In 2016, parts of the Reef experienced massive coral bleaching, and in August 2019, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority downgraded the reef’s outlook from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’. Inshore reefs of the central Great Barrier Reef have suffered dramatically from fertiliser and pesticide run-off and from high sediment loads caused by land clearing. Greater in size than the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined, and able to be seen from outer space, the Great Barrier Reef is an eco-wonderland – home to a vast range of mammalian, fish, and bird species. You can visit the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park website to get a good idea about the status of the reef itself and how you can help, as well as several other websites that target helping and preserving the reef, such as Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef. Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden said, “The Great Barrier Reef is an irreplaceable ecosystem and we should be proud that it’s our responsibility to look after it.” “Our Reef and its marine life are facing a growing combination of threats and saving the Reef is a huge task, but there’s hope,” Ms Marsden said. The tourist industry in Australia regarding the Great Barrier Reef is massive. (Shutterstock) There are a whole number of methods to visit the … The reef does this by … However, mass bleaching from warmer waters – when the coral expels algae living in its tissue and turns white – along with ocean acidity, pollution and invasive species are threatening the reef’s future. Take action to protect the Reef. Choose your excursions carefully. The World Heritage Committee meets each year to consider the state of conservation of world heritage properties. One underrated service that the Great Barrier Reef provides is by protecting the shoreline. The magnificent Great Barrier Reef stretches for more than 2,600 kilometres off the coast of Queensland, Australia and comprises more than 900 islands. Climate change is the biggest threat to the Reef’s future. GoEco's Great Barrier Reef Conservation project works with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in monitoring the Park. “Indigenous rangers are critical to ensuring the health and sustainability of our environment, and we need the tools and … Around 65,000 people come directly in contact with the reef. In the 1980s, we campaigned for the reef’s World Heritage listing – and won. In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef generates an estimated AU$6 billion in economic activity, according to the Queensland government. It's a question a lot of Australians have been asking for years now and the good news is there are some ideas about how we … Some tourism companies can offer you an incredible experience of the Great Barrier Reef while playing an important role in protecting the reef’s biodiversity that their industry relies on. See more from Rebooting the Reef.. The decision recognised the significant work by the Australian and Queensland governments, in partnerships with scientists, Traditional Owners, community and industry to further protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef with the development of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Su… New global communities of concerned citizens can help protect iconic places such as the Great Barrier Reef. 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