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74-614: It includes various protected areas and parks including the Belize Barrier Reef , Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park , Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Belize), Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve , and the Cayos Cochinos Marine Park . Belize's coastline, including the Belize Barrier Reef , is home to approximately 30% of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. It begins near Isla Contoy on the northern tip of

148-510: A "shark control" program ( shark culling ) that deliberately kills sharks throughout Queensland, including in the Great Barrier Reef. Environmentalists and scientists say that this program harms the marine ecosystem ; they also say it is "outdated, cruel and ineffective". The Queensland "shark control" program uses shark nets and drum lines with baited hooks to kill sharks in the Great Barrier Reef – there are 173 lethal drum lines in

222-581: A depth of 150 metres (490 ft) due to their need for sunlight, and cannot grow above sea level. When Queensland edged into tropical waters 24 million years ago, some coral grew, but a sedimentation regime quickly developed with erosion of the Great Dividing Range ; creating river deltas , oozes and turbidites , unsuitable conditions for coral growth. 10 million years ago, the sea level significantly lowered, which further enabled sedimentation. The reef's substrate may have needed to build up from

296-506: A disease of bony corals caused by the protozoan Halofolliculina corallasia , affects 31 coral species. According to a 2012 study by the National Academy of Sciences , since 1985, the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals with two-thirds of the loss occurring from 1998 due to the factors listed before. In 2022, the northern and central parts of the reef had the highest amount of coral cover since monitoring began, but

370-450: A doubling of the chlorophyll in the water leads to a tenfold increase in the crown-of-thorns starfish larvae's survival rate. Sediment runoff from farming carries chemicals into the reef environment also reduces the amount of light available to the corals decreasing their ability to extract energy from their environment. Pesticides used in farming are made up of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins are released into

444-546: A draft decision, expressing serious concern about the impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. The draft decision also warned Australia that it will not meet the targets of the Reef 2050 report without considerable work to improve water quality. Climate change has implications for other forms of reef life – some fish's preferred temperature range leads them to seek new habitat, thus increasing chick mortality in predatory seabirds. Climate change will also affect

518-486: A lawsuit against the government of Queensland to stop shark culling in the Great Barrier Reef. In March 2015, the Australian and Queensland's governments formed a plan for the protection and preservation of the reef's universal heritage until 2050. This 35 years plan, titled "Reef 2050 Plan" is a document proposing possible measures for the long-term management of the pollution, climate change and other issues that threaten

592-411: A rate of about 0.1 per decade this century. The acidic water breaks down the materials that coral and shell building creatures need to grow. Another key threat faced by the Great Barrier Reef is pollution and declining water quality . The rivers of north-eastern Australia pollute the Reef during tropical flood events. Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm runoff . 80% of the land adjacent to

666-532: A report by the Coastal Zone Management Institute in Belize. A second mass-bleaching event occurred, when Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998. Biologists observed a 48 percent reduction in live coral cover across the Belize reef system. Usually, it is hard to distinguish whether the reason for coral bleaching is human activities or natural reasons such as storms or bacterial fluctuations. In the case of

740-488: A state icon of Queensland in 2006. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park , which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff of humanmade pollutants, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching , dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of

814-714: Is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras , making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia . It is Belize's top tourist destination, popular for scuba diving and snorkeling and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors. It is also vital to the country's fishing industry. Charles Darwin described it as "the most remarkable reef in

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888-460: Is expected to become an annual occurrence. In 2020, a study found that the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change. As global warming continues, corals will not be able to keep up with increasing ocean temperatures. Coral bleaching events lead to increased disease susceptibility, which causes detrimental ecological effects for reef communities. In July 2017 UNESCO published in

962-495: Is home to a large diversity of plants and animals: With 90% of the reef still needing to be researched, it is estimated that only 10% of all species have been discovered. A large portion of the reef is protected by the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which includes seven marine reserves , 450 cayes , and three atolls . It totals 960 square kilometres (370 sq mi) in area, including: In 1996

1036-489: Is home to one of the world's largest populations of manatees, with an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 of them. Some northern areas of the reef system near Isla Contoy are home to the largest fish on the planet, the whale shark These normally solitary animals congregate in social groups to feed and mate. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is considered critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems . Over

1110-565: Is how they've collected much of their data regarding threats to the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan was announced in 2018 in order to help transition local communities, agricultural organizations and industries to more sustainable practices. This plan will join the Queensland government and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to manage the amounts of runoff that reach

1184-555: Is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps . It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labelled it one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997. Australian World Heritage places included it in its list in 2007. The Queensland National Trust named it

1258-555: Is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea , off the coast of Queensland , Australia , separated from the coast by a channel 160 kilometres (100 mi) wide in places and over 61 metres (200 ft) deep. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and

1332-399: Is thought that the poor water quality is due to increased light and oxygen competition from algae . Farming fertiliser runoff release nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium into the oceanic ecosystem, and these limiting nutrients cause massive algal growth which eventually leads to a reduction in oxygen available for other creatures in a process called eutrophication . This decreases

1406-552: The Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over AUD$ 3 billion per year. In November 2014, Google launched Google Underwater Street View in 3D of

1480-507: The Cenozoic . Eastern Australia experienced a period of tectonic uplift , which moved the drainage divide in Queensland 400 km (250 mi) inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and shield volcanoes and basalt flows. Some of these became volcanic islands . After the Coral Sea Basin formed, coral reefs began to grow in

1554-522: The Great Barrier Reef Foundation in 2018. The announcement of the grant was subject to backlash as the grant had avoided proper tender and transparency processes. The Great Barrier Reef contributes to the overall wellbeing of the marine biome. Numerous species of aquatic plants, fish and megafauna use the reef for feeding, shelter and mating. Threats such as ocean acidification , pollution runoff and outbreaks of destructive species like

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1628-437: The Great Dividing Range with some larger hills (most of which were themselves remnants of older reefs or, in rare cases, volcanoes ). The Reef Research Centre, a Cooperative Research Centre , has found coral 'skeleton' deposits that date back half a million years. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) considers the earliest evidence of complete reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago. According to

1702-581: The Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea are a potential pollution risk for the far northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait regions. Some 67% of corals died in the reef's worst-hit northern section, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies report said. The runoff problem is exacerbated by the loss of coastal wetlands which act as a natural filter for toxins and help deposit sediment. It

1776-714: The West Indies " in 1842. In addition to its barrier reef, it also boasts three distinct Caribbean atolls : Turneffe Atoll , Glover's Reef and Lighthouse Reef . Lighthouse Reef is the most easterly diving area in Belize, it is home to the Great Blue Hole , made famous by Jacques Cousteau in 1970; Turneffe Atoll lies directly to the east of Belize City and is the nearest of the atolls to that city. These different reefs provide diverse scuba diving opportunities that include walls, pinnacles and reef flats that are located throughout an enormous area of sea. The Belize Barrier Reef

1850-576: The crown-of-thorns starfish have brought about the decline of this ecosystem. These threats to the reef are not only a danger to the organisms inhabiting it, but also the economy of this region, a large part of which relies on revenue from ecotourism of the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government has had the goal of protecting this World Heritage Site since 1972 when they created The Australian Institute of Marine Science. The Australian and Queensland governments have contributed about $ 142.5 million to their National Environmental Science Program which

1924-623: The crown-of-thorns starfish . According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985, a finding reaffirmed by a 2020 study which found over half of the reef's coral cover to have been lost between 1995 and 2017, with the effects of a widespread 2020 bleaching event not yet quantified. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by

1998-428: The olive ridley . The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically distinct populations , one in the northern part of the reef and the other in the southern part. Fifteen species of seagrass in beds attract the dugongs and turtles, and provide fish habitat. The most common genera of seagrasses are Halophila and Halodule . Saltwater crocodiles live in mangrove and salt marshes on

2072-415: The 2022 report showed the greatest recovery in 36 years. It is mainly due to the regrowth of two-thirds of the reef by the fast-growing Acropora coral, which is the dominant coral there. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The first European to sight

2146-648: The Barrier Reef. Despite these protective measures, the reef remains under threat from oceanic pollution as well as uncontrolled tourism, shipping, and fishing. Other threats include hurricanes, along with global warming and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures, which causes coral bleaching . It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998. The Belize Barrier Reef has been affected by mass-bleaching events. The first mass bleaching occurred in 1995, with an estimated mortality of 10 percent of coral colonies, according to

2220-602: The Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics – too cool to support coral growth. The Great Barrier Reef's development history is complex; after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, it was largely influenced by reef growth and decline as sea level changed. Reefs can increase in diameter by 1 to 3 centimetres (0.39 to 1.18 in) per year, and grow vertically anywhere from 1 to 25 cm (0.39 to 9.84 in) per year; however, they grow only above

2294-461: The Belize Barrier Reef, many factors which make the distinction difficult do not apply. Human population in this area is much more sparse than the corresponding areas near other coral reefs, so the human activity and pollution are much lower compared to other coral reefs and the Belize reef system is in a much more enclosed area. When coral bleaching occurs, a large part of the coral dies, and

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2368-555: The GBRMPA, the current, living reef structure is believed to have begun growing on the older platform about 20,000 years ago. The Australian Institute of Marine Science agrees, placing the beginning of the growth of the current reef at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum . At around that time, sea level was 120 metres (390 ft) lower than it is today. From 20,000 years ago until 6,000 years ago, sea level rose steadily around

2442-482: The Great Barrier Reef can be found in The Kimberley , Western Australia. The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions , of which 30 are reef bioregions. In the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef, ribbon reefs and deltaic reefs have formed; these structures are not found in the rest of the reef system. A previously undiscovered reef, 500 metres tall and 1.5 km wide at

2516-490: The Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to 50 metres (160 ft) deep and are more common in the southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are endemic, nor are any endangered. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed: the green sea turtle , leatherback sea turtle , hawksbill turtle , loggerhead sea turtle , flatback turtle , and

2590-403: The Great Barrier Reef is the rising levels of ocean acidification in the ocean. Ocean acidification occurs when excess atmospheric carbon dioxide gets absorbed into the ocean. This causes a decrease in the pH and this alters the chemistry of the ocean's water. This reduces the amount of aragonite, a key mineral for coral to grow, in the water. The Great Barrier Reef is predicted to lose aragonite at

2664-690: The Great Barrier Reef is used for farming including intensive cropping of sugar cane, and major beef cattle grazing. Farming practices damage the reef due to overgrazing , increased run-off of agricultural sediments, nutrients and chemicals including fertilisers , herbicides and pesticides representing a major health risk for the coral and biodiversity of the reefs. According to a 2016 report, while higher regulation contributes to less overall pollution from "other land uses, such as industrial, mining, port development, dredging and urban development", these can still be locally significant. Sediments containing high levels of copper and other heavy metals sourced from

2738-408: The Great Barrier Reef was James Cook in 1770, who sailed and mapped the east coast of Australia. On 11 June 1770 Cook's ship, HMS  Endeavour , ran aground on a shoal south of the present-day location of Cooktown , requiring seven weeks to repair. It was Matthew Flinders who named the Great Barrier Reef, after his more detailed mapping of it in 1802. Flinders used various terms to describe

2812-406: The Great Barrier Reef. A March 2016 report stated that coral bleaching was more widespread than previously thought, seriously affecting the northern parts of the reef as a result of warming ocean temperatures . In October 2016, Outside published an obituary for the reef; the article was criticised for being premature and hindering efforts to bolster the resilience of the reef. In March 2017,

2886-449: The Great Barrier Reef. In Queensland, sharks found alive on the baited hooks are shot. Queensland's "shark control" program killed about 50,000 sharks from 1962 to 2018. Also, Queensland's "shark control" program has also killed many other animals (such as dolphins and turtles ) – the program killed 84,000 marine animals from 1962 to 2015, including in the Great Barrier Reef. In 2018, Humane Society International filed

2960-824: The Mermaid, Francis Price Blackwood in HMS Fly , Owen Stanley in the Rattlesnake, and Henry Mangles Denham in the Herald led to considerable navigational improvements, as they outlined the contrasting advantages and perils of the Inner Route (between Australia's east coast and the western edge of the reefs) and the Outer Route, in the open sea. The Great Barrier Reef supports an extraordinary diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species , some of which may be endemic to

3034-563: The Reef Research Centre (RRC). Outbreaks are believed to occur in natural cycles, worsened by poor water quality and overfishing of the starfish's predators. The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species , such as the giant Triton , can disrupt food chains vital to reef life. Fishing also impacts the reef through increased water pollution from boats, by-catch of unwanted species (such as dolphins and turtles) and habitat destruction from trawling , anchors and nets. As of

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3108-424: The Reef's health, pressures, and future every five years. The last report was published in 2019. In March 2022, another mass bleaching event has been confirmed, which raised further concerns about the future of this reef system, especially when considering the possible effects of El Niño weather phenomenon. The Australian Institute of Marine Science conducts annual surveys of the Great Barrier Reef's status, and

3182-629: The Yucatán Peninsula and continues south alongside the Riviera Maya including areas like Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro . It then continues south along the eastern coast of Belize including many cayes and atolls . It extends to the north-east corner of Honduras. It is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere . The reef system is home to more than 65 species of stony coral , 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish . There are numerous species that live in or around

3256-403: The base, was found in the northern area in 2020. There are no atolls in the system, and reefs attached to the mainland are rare. Fringing reefs are distributed widely, but are most common towards the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef, attached to high islands, for example, the Whitsunday Islands . Lagoonal reefs are found in the southern Great Barrier Reef, and further north, off

3330-402: The biodiversity in the affected areas, altering the species composition . A study by Katharina Fabricius and Glen Death of Australian Institute of Marine Science found that hard corals numbers were almost double on reefs that were far from agricultural areas. Fertilizers also increase the amount of phytoplankton available for the crown-of-thorns starfish larvae to consume. A study showed that

3404-544: The coast near the reef. Nesting has not been reported, and the salt water crocodile population in the GBRWHA is wide-ranging but low density. Around 125 species of shark , stingray , skates or chimaera live on the reef. Close to 5,000 species of mollusc have been recorded on the reef, including the giant clam and various nudibranchs and cone snails . Forty-nine species of pipefish and nine species of seahorse have been recorded. At least seven species of frog inhabit

3478-569: The coast of Princess Charlotte Bay . Crescentic reefs are the most common shape of reef in the middle of the system, for example the reefs surrounding Lizard Island . Crescentic reefs are also found in the far north of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and in the Swain Reefs ( 20 – 22 degrees south ). Planar reefs are found in the northern and southern parts, near Cape York Peninsula , Princess Charlotte Bay, and Cairns. Most of

3552-422: The cover in the southern part had decreased and bleaching events occurred more frequently. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority considers the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef to be climate change, causing ocean warming which increases coral bleaching . Mass coral bleaching events due to marine heatwaves occurred in the summers of 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017 and 2020, and coral bleaching

3626-400: The early stage of a "huge natural selection event unfolding". Many of the mature breeding adults died in the bleaching events of 2016–17, leading to low coral birth rates. The types of corals that reproduced also changed, leading to a "long-term reorganisation of the reef ecosystem if the trend continues." The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (section 54) stipulates an Outlook Report on

3700-405: The islands on the reef are found on planar reefs. Wonky holes can have localised impact on the reef, providing upwellings of fresh water, sometimes rich in nutrients contributing to eutrophication . Navigation through and around the reefs is a major challenge. More than 20 ships were recorded lost in the region between 1791 and 1850, Surveys between 1815 and 1860 by Phillip Parker King in

3774-558: The islands. 215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) visit the reef or nest or roost on the islands, including the white-bellied sea eagle and roseate tern . Most nesting sites are on islands in the northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with 1.4 to 1.7 million birds using the sites to breed. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef also support 2,195 known plant species; three of these are endemic. The northern islands have 300–350 plant species which tend to be woody, whereas

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3848-409: The journal Nature published a paper showing that huge sections of an 800-kilometre (500 mi) stretch in the northern part of the reef had died in the course of 2016 of high water temperatures, an event that the authors put down to the effects of global climate change. The percentage of baby corals being born on the Great Barrier Reef dropped drastically in 2018 and scientists are describing it as

3922-497: The life span and value of this global heritage. The plan contains all the elements for measurement and improvements, including; long-term sustainability plan, water quality improvement plan and the investment plan for the protection and preservation of The Reef until 2050. However, whereas the 2050 plan aims to incorporate protective measures such as improving water quality, reef restoration, killing of predatory starfish, it does not incorporate additional measures to address what may be

3996-441: The lionfish due to their enormous appetite. Belize Barrier Reef The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize , roughly 300 metres (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometres (25 mi) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-kilometre (190 mi) long section of the 900-kilometre (560 mi) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System , which

4070-458: The material to the environment and to develop a management plan to eliminate this potential hazard; however, GBRMPA does not have legislative control over how the Yabulu tailings dam is managed". The crown-of-thorns starfish preys on coral polyps. Large outbreaks of these starfish can devastate reefs. In 2000, an outbreak contributed to a loss of 66% of live coral cover on sampled reefs in a study by

4144-405: The middle of 2004, approximately one-third of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is protected from species removal of any kind, including fishing, without written permission. Shipping accidents are a pressing concern, as several commercial shipping routes pass through the Great Barrier Reef. Although the route through the Great Barrier Reef is not easy, reef pilots consider it safer than outside

4218-466: The past 50 years, this ecosystem has faced numerous threats, including hurricanes, rising surface water temperatures, ocean acidification , pollution, overfishing, invasive species such as lionfish and disease outbreaks of corals and urchins. The reef system is suffering an invasion by lionfish ( Pterois volitans and Pterois miles ), which are native to the Indo-Pacific region. They severely damage

4292-412: The reef ecosystem by eating nearly every reef-tending species, such as cleaner shrimp and other species that eat algae, which keep the corals clean, alive, and disease-free. Lionfish eat up to 90% of these reef-tending species in a given area within just a few months, which can result in a quick death for a reef. Valuable commercial species, such as lobster , are being negatively affected by the spread of

4366-404: The reef in the event of mechanical failure, since a ship can sit safely while being repaired. There have been over 1,600 known shipwrecks in the Great Barrier Reef region. On 3 April 2010, the bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoals, spilling up to four tonnes of oil into the water and causing extensive damage to the reef. The government of Queensland has

4440-626: The reef system that are endangered or under some degree of protection, including five species of sea turtles ( green sea turtle , loggerhead sea turtle , leatherback turtle , hawksbill turtle and olive ridley turtle ), the queen conch , the West Indian manatee , the splendid toadfish , the American crocodile , the Morelet's crocodile , the Nassau grouper , elkhorn coral , and black coral . The reef system

4514-536: The reef system. Thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke whale , Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin , and the humpback whale . Large populations of dugongs live there. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish , red bass , red-throat emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout . Forty-nine species mass spawn , while eighty-four other species spawn elsewhere in their range. Seventeen species of sea snake live on

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4588-457: The reef, including thirteen species of genus Halimeda , which deposit calcareous mounds up to 100 metres (110 yd) wide, creating mini-ecosystems on their surface which have been compared to rainforest cover. Climate change , pollution, crown-of-thorns starfish and fishing are the primary threats to the health of this reef system. Other threats include shipping accidents, oil spills , and tropical cyclones. Skeletal Eroding Band ,

4662-495: The reef. The majority of these spawn gametes , breeding in mass spawning events that are triggered by the rising sea temperatures of spring and summer, the lunar cycle, and the diurnal cycle. Reefs in the inner Great Barrier Reef spawn during the week after the full moon in October, while the outer reefs spawn in November and December. Its common soft corals belong to 36 genera. Five hundred species of marine algae or seaweed live on

4736-520: The reefs comprising what we now call the Great Barrier Reef including "great reef", for one such reef, "barrier reef", for any reef preventing a sailing vessel in, or waves from, the open sea, from reaching the coast, and "Barrier Reefs", for the collection of such reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It reaches from Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay , its northernmost island, and

4810-415: The remaining part of the ecosystem begins the process of repairing the damage. But the chances of recovery are low, as corals that are bleached become much more vulnerable to disease. Disease often kills more corals than the bleaching event itself. With continuous bleaching, the coral reef will have little to no chance of recovery. Cave dive sites: Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef

4884-485: The reserve system was designated a World Heritage Site due to its vulnerability and the fact that it contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity (according to criteria VII, IX, and X). Belize became the first country in the world to completely ban bottom trawling in December 2010. In December 2015, Belize banned offshore oil drilling within 1 km of

4958-406: The root cause the problem – climate change, which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions. As such, experts doubted whether it would be enough to save the fragile environment. Another issue is that the time left to the 1.5 °C warming threshold (the temperature limit that coral reefs can still cope with ) is very limited. As part of the Reef 2050 plan, an AUD$ 443 million grant was given to

5032-587: The sea turtle's population and available habitat. Bleaching events in benthic coral communities (deeper than 20 metres or 66 feet) in the Great Barrier reef are not as well documented as those at shallower depths, but recent research has shown that benthic communities are just as negatively impacted in the face of rising ocean temperatures. Five Great Barrier Reef species of large benthic corals were found bleached under elevated temperatures, affirming that benthic corals are vulnerable to thermal stress. A threat for

5106-400: The sediment until its edge was too far away for suspended sediments to inhibit coral growth. In addition, approximately 400,000 years ago there was a particularly warm Interglacial period with higher sea levels and a 4 °C (7 °F) water temperature change. The land that formed the substrate of the current Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain formed from the eroded sediments of

5180-449: The south coast of Papua New Guinea ) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island) and Fraser Island in the south. Lady Elliot Island is located 1,915 km (1,190 mi) southeast of Bramble Cay as the crow flies . It includes the smaller Murray Islands . The plate tectonic theory indicates Australia has moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm (2.8 in) per year, starting during

5254-470: The southern islands have 200 which tend to be herbaceous; the Whitsunday region is the most diverse, supporting 1,141 species. The plants are propagated by birds. There are at least 330 species of ascidians on the reef system with the diameter of 1–10 cm (0.4–4 in). Between 300 and 500 species of bryozoans live on the reef. Four hundred coral species, both hard corals and soft corals inhabit

5328-538: The submerged hills, to form the present cays and reefs. Sea level here has not risen significantly in the last 6,000 years. The CRC Reef Research Centre estimates the age of the present, living reef structure at 6,000 to 8,000 years old. The shallow water reefs that can be seen in air-photographs and satellite images cover an area of 20,679 km , most (about 80%) of which has grown on top of limestone platforms that are relics of past (Pleistocene) phases of reef growth. The remains of an ancient barrier reef similar to

5402-456: The wider environment due to erosion of farm soil, which has a detrimental effect on the coral. Mining company Queensland Nickel discharged nitrate-laden water into the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2011 – on the later occasion releasing 516 tonnes (508 long tons; 569 short tons) of waste water. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) stated "We have strongly encouraged the company to investigate options that do not entail releasing

5476-454: The world. As it rose, the corals could then grow higher on the newly submerged maritime margins of the hills of the coastal plain. By around 13,000 years ago the sea level was only 60 metres (200 ft) lower than the present day, and corals began to surround the hills of the coastal plain, which were, by then, continental islands . As the sea level rose further still, most of the continental islands were submerged. The corals could then overgrow

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