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2. AUSTRALIA
The Great Barrier Reef
Sometimes referred to as the tropical rainforests of the seas, coral
reef ecosystems are highly diverse, productive aquatic marine communities.
Coral reefs are biogenic deposits formed by coral, marine invertebrates
belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and class Anthozoa. Coral are sensible
animals living primarily in colonies of individual polyps. Two main types
of extant corals are hard rayed (stony) corals (subclass Zoanthiniaria,
order Scleractinia) and soft corals (order Alcyonaria). Nearly all corals
live in symbiotic relationships with Zooxanthellae algae, which rely on the
coral for protection and for access to the light necessary for
photosynthesis. In return, the algae provide the coral with food and food
also give their distinctive colors. Other marine invertebrates and fishes
live in the coral reef community, which provides shelter, food, and a
habitat for nurseries.
Coral secrete a hard calcium carbonate skeleton, which forms the
substrate on which they live and which becomes a coral reef as it builds up
over time. The calcium carbonate skeleton also protects the corals from
predators. Scientists have categorized coral reef into three main types:
fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Their geographic range includes
both tropical and temperate climatic zones, though they are most abundant
in warm, shallow water. The geological range of coral reefs is from the
Middle Ordovician to modern times.
Corals play an essential economic role for many coastal human
communities, as they provide a habitat for fishers, physical protection
from erosion, a source of marketable goods, and a destination for tourists.
Unfortunately, coral reefs globally are showing signs of ecological
degradation from pollutant runoffs of chemicals and human sewage,
increasing sedimentation and eutrophication, damage from ships and divers,
and increasing sea temperatures and ultraviolet radiation exposure. Coral
reef ecosystem health is an important indicator of the global environmental
condition, as they are highly sensitive to changes in water chemistry and
temperature.
The largest reef in the world measuring 2011 km in length and 72 km
across at its widest point is the Great Barrier Reef. It stretches along
the coast of Queensland in Australia. It is a true wonderland of color and
beauty. Of the many hundreds of varieties of coral growing on the reef, the
Staghorn (antler type) is one of the most common.
The Great Barrier Reef
Is a natural barrier made of
the bodies of living and dead
coral. It is normally just below
the surface of the water. It is
made of a white part containing
the bodies of zillions of polyps
which have died hundreds years
ago and a colorful part that is
the living part of the coral reef.
It is made up of living polyps.
As the world's largest coral reef ecosystem the Great Barrier Reef is
home to approximately:
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