See full version: Can The Great Barrier Reef Be Saved
The goals of the plan include ending dumping material from five major industrial ports, prohibiting future dredging, halting and reversing declines in water quality entering the reef due to agricultural activity, and investing significant funds in research and management activities on the reef. Several water quality initiatives are also part of the plan. [links]
The Great Barrier Reef is of enormous value according to multiple metrics. An economic report valued it at $42 billion including 64,000 Australian jobs dependent upon it. It is one of the world’s most remarkable natural wonders, spanning 1,400 miles and visible from space. It is also considered to be the largest living thing on earth, supporting countless animal and plant species in one of the most complex ecosystems on our planet. So, needless to say, it is worth saving.
Since the plan’s release in 2015, the Australian and Queensland governments have made good progress on implementing 151 actions outlined in it.
The recent bleaching events appear to be drawing to a close, but with rising sea temperatures, new ones may not be too far away. Saving the reef will require a combination of good luck, good policy, and probably most importantly, reversing the trends of climate change. Only time will tell how successful Australia’s efforts will be.
Since 2016 there have been consecutive years of coral bleaching (more on that below), outbreaks of disease and crown-to-thorns starfish, causing an estimated 29 percent of shallow water coral to perish. more
What are crown-of-thorns starfish?
These starfish are known both for the spines that cover their body and arms, as well as the severe damage that they can cause to coral reefs, during massive outbreaks (we're talking in the tens of thousands here). They are particularly destructive when the coral is stressed or going through the bleaching process. here
Soft coral also tends to be more brightly colored and are in danger of being eaten by fish, snails and crustaceans. To fight back, they produce distasteful chemicals and also have spiky points to protect themselves.
Who lives there?
What is Coral Bleaching?
Coral reefs are one of the planet’s most threatened ecosystems, as they are directly affected by warming ocean temperatures. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia recently experienced its third mass bleaching event in five years, with 25% of the reef being affected. How can we save this marvel before it’s too late?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5℃ will provide the only chance at survival for the world’s coral reefs. This requires the cooperation of governments all around the world. In the meantime, scientists are focusing on the corals that appear to cope better with heat. An experiment with 90 parent specimens from three parts of the reef grew 7 500 offspring. Researchers subjected them to temperatures of up to 2℃ warming and related levels of CO 2 . Many of these corals survived, suggesting that all hope for coral is not lost. [links]
Coral Bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef more
Our Reef is experiencing its fourth major COTS outbreak since the 1960s. With our partners, we are managing the current outbreak using a targeted COTS Control Program, the largest intervention program happening right now on the Reef. More than 100 trained divers are working across the Reef to inject starfish with bile salt (made in the liver of oxen) or vinegar. This kills the starfish but doesn’t harm the surrounding ecosystem. here
Restoring critical island habitats and saving vulnerable species [links]
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We have pioneered the largest reef habitat rehabilitation project of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere – bringing together Traditional Owners, scientists, local tourism leaders, governments and the community to protect and restore critical island habitats. [links]
This technique was first trialled on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and is already producing exceptional results. The baby corals from the first trial have already grown to dinner plate-size and we expect they will spawn this year, helping to boost the population further. more
Coral is essential for life on earth. At the same time, it is one of the planet’s most threatened ecosystems, directly impacted by global ocean warming from anthropogenic climate change. The Great Barrier Reef, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites known for its ‘enormous scientific and intrinsic importance’, has just undergone its third mass bleaching event in five years, affecting 25% of the entire reef. How do we save this marvel before it’s too late?
Figure 1: Showing the spread of bleaching in the 2016 and 17 cases. Source more
Coral bleaching is a reaction to heat stress. When corals are immersed in warmer-than-average water for extended periods of time, the algae- zooxanthellae – which lives inside coral tissue, gets expelled. This provides food and colour and helps corals to reproduce, and thus this expulsion results in coral becoming ‘bleached’ and losing its colour. Severe bleaching can kill corals, but they also have the potential to recover if temperatures stabilise- yet the climate crisis is increasing both the frequency and severity of bleaching events.