Ecosystems Research Journal The Great Barrier Reef Research Journal Natalie Hyde CRABTREE Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
Mission to the Great Barrier Reef Marine science has always been fascinating to me as a researcher Imagine how excited I was to receive an email today from a conservation organization called Reefs Alive I am heading to Australia to study one of the most amazing natural structures in the world The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem I have been asked to investigate how the reef is holding up against threats to its survival Some of those threats are coral bleaching outbreaks of crown-of-thorns sea stars damage to coral from fishing equipment and storms habitat loss from new developments increased ship traffic I plan to volunteer on some new projects that study and record changes to the reef My trip will take me from the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef all the way up to the Lizard Island Research Station 6
I was surprised to learn that the Great Barrier Reef is made up over 2,900 individual reef systems and over 900 islands Reefs are ridges of living corals in the sea The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,400 miles 2,300 kilometers up the east coast of Australia Inner reefs are found close to the shore They are about 115 feet 35 meters deep Outer reefs grow where the seabed begins to drop much lower The reefs farther out from shore can be up to 6,500 feet 2,000 meters deep Most of the reefs are protected in an area called the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park GBRMP The diversity of life here is the reason it was named a World Heritage Site in 1981 The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World 7
