The Great Barrier Reef is a beautiful reef on the coast of Queensland and it is the only living structure that can be seen from space. It is home to many endangered species such as bottle nosed dolphins, sharks and green sea turtles. However, there are a lot of things that can go wrong in the oceans, from damaging coral to killing fish. Here are 3 main threats to the Great Barrier Reef…
Coral bleaching
Well, coral bleaching happens when the pollution in the air like fumes from cars, makes the world very hot and the water also gets warmer but the coral can’t cope with the heat so it is bleaching which is like sunburn and its dying. Over half the great barrier reef has already died from hot ocean temperatures.
Coal mining
So, coal mining. The issue with coal mining is that near the great barrier reef on land, there are many coal mining sites. The companies want to get all the coal and send it overseas. But to send it overseas, it has to be shipped in massive container ships and to get the ships to the dock, they have to dig out all the coral so that it is deep enough. When they dig up the reef, they then dump it in other parts of the reef. This is destroying lots of the coral which also impacts the sea life because the animals need habitat for feeding and hiding.
Fishing
So, fishing is a massive threat to the Great Barrier Reef because when fishing companies trail huge nets, they catch way more fish than they are legally allowed to. They also catch other species like turtles and dolphins which are endangered however they don’t care so they just kill it all, regardless of whether they are fishing for it or it gets caught. Also, when the net goes along the bottom, it can churn up coral and can either pull the coral out of the reef or damage it.
Even though these threats are happening you can still make a difference by using public transport and not over fishing or killing fish. Using canvas bags instead of plastic bags and re-usable drink bottles are a great way to help save the beautiful Great Barrier Reef and all the animals that live there.
Pippa
Coral bleaching
Well, coral bleaching happens when the pollution in the air like fumes from cars, makes the world very hot and the water also gets warmer but the coral can’t cope with the heat so it is bleaching which is like sunburn and its dying. Over half the great barrier reef has already died from hot ocean temperatures.
Coal mining
So, coal mining. The issue with coal mining is that near the great barrier reef on land, there are many coal mining sites. The companies want to get all the coal and send it overseas. But to send it overseas, it has to be shipped in massive container ships and to get the ships to the dock, they have to dig out all the coral so that it is deep enough. When they dig up the reef, they then dump it in other parts of the reef. This is destroying lots of the coral which also impacts the sea life because the animals need habitat for feeding and hiding.
Fishing
So, fishing is a massive threat to the Great Barrier Reef because when fishing companies trail huge nets, they catch way more fish than they are legally allowed to. They also catch other species like turtles and dolphins which are endangered however they don’t care so they just kill it all, regardless of whether they are fishing for it or it gets caught. Also, when the net goes along the bottom, it can churn up coral and can either pull the coral out of the reef or damage it.
Even though these threats are happening you can still make a difference by using public transport and not over fishing or killing fish. Using canvas bags instead of plastic bags and re-usable drink bottles are a great way to help save the beautiful Great Barrier Reef and all the animals that live there.
Pippa