Great Barrier Reef
The beauty of the Great Barrier Reef inspires people the world over, and is a valuable source of income for Australians through the tourism and fishing industries.
Historically, the Reef has been regarded as a well-protected, pristine wonderland – a place of delicate corals, abundant fish life and a haven for other marine life.
As scientists have understood more about the Reef’s complexities, a different picture has emerged – overfishing, land-based pollution and coral bleaching exacerbated by increased sea temperatures due to global warming are all impacting upon its natural wealth.
Fan coral
Fan coral. Great Barrier Reef
© WWF-Canon / Jurgen FREUND
While the Reef is unlikely to die in the coming decades, it is likely to change significantly from the system that we now know.
The good news is that due to its remoteness from the coastline, its size and Australia’s small and generally affluent population, the Great Barrier Reef hasn’t suffered from the extreme human impacts that have caused catastrophic damage to many other coral reefs around the world.
We can protect the Reef.