Human Impacts Pt 1

HUMAN IMPACTS 

Currently, there are five main human impacts on the Great Barrier Reef: fishing, sediment runoff, coral bleaching, tourism, and oil pollution. Fishes are very primitive animals, dating back almost 530 million years ago. Therefore, they do not die easily and so, fishers use extreme methods to catch them. The first is cyanide fishing. This is when they use poison to stun the fish, making them easier to catch. However, this negatively impacts the Great Barrier Reef because the cyanide makes everything around it die turning the “rainforests of the ocean” into marine deserts (18).

Cyanide Fishing
Source: http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-magazines/freshwater-and-marine-aquarium/august-2008/cyanide-aquarium-fish.aspx

Great Barrier Reef History

HISTORY

Historically speaking, the Great Barrier Reef is a host of many living things ranging from living coral, to algae, anemones, sponges,
 fish, worms, starfish, turtles, mollusks, snakes, crustaceans, and many others. The reef itself is about 500,000 years old. The base of the reef is the remains of the sediments of the Great Dividing Range, which is often known as the Australia’s largest mountain range. 13,000 years ago, the sea level was approximately 200 feet lower than today’s level, and so coral grew around the hills of the coastal plains otherwise known as continental islands. Due to a warming period, the glaciers have melted and it has ultimately resulted in a sea level rise. Thus, today, the continental islands are now submerged and the coral has formed into reefs and cays, or low-elevation sandy islands. (21) First human contact occurred about 40,000 years ago, as the Aboriginals in Australia and the Torres Strait Islander peoples began to utilize the reef for hunting and other purposes to supplement their civilization. It is more well known how the Europeans came into contact with the eastern coast of Australia, an area commonly known as North Queensland. They came to the island in 1768, and the first scientific observations were made by Captain Cook in 1770. (10)

Historical Great Barrier Reef
Source:http://www.qhatlas.com.au/content/playground-science-great-barrier-reef

The Great Barrier Reef Pictures

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Great Barrier Reef, Today
Source: http://www.reefnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/o-GREAT-BARRIER-REEF-facebook.jpg

Map of the Great Barrier Reef
Source: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/24/19824-004-4BF0C660.gif

Summary of the Great Barrier Reef
Source: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/185237/GBRMPA-size-infographic.jpg