The Great Barrier Reef as seen from space. Great barrier reef, australia. What are the threats to the reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef and the largest natural feature on Earth formed by living organisms - it can be seen from space. It has over 2,900 individual coral reefs made up of 400 coral species and 900 islands in the Coral Sea. The Great Barrier Reef stretches along the northeast coast of Australia for 2,500 km and covers an area of ​​about 344,400 sq. km.

Over the past three decades, the Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals.

The structure of this reef is formed (built) from billions of tiny organisms known to science as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a huge variety of living organisms and was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Most of the reefs are under water (they are exposed during low tides). In the south, the reef is 300 km from the coast.

3. This is Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost coral island of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia. (Photo by David Gray):

For most of its geological history, Australia was too cold for corals to exist in its coastal waters. However, about 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, this continent broke away from Antarctica. Australia's move to the tropics coincided with a rise in sea levels, which led to the creation of conditions near its northeast coast that are necessary for the formation of coral reefs.

4. Coral beach on Lady Elliot Island. (Photo by David Gray):

Most of the Barrier Reef is less than 400,000 years old (the rest of the time the sea level was too low), and some of its parts have been formed over the past 200 years. The most intensive growth occurred in the last 8,000 years.

5. Corals and shells on the beach on Lady Elliot Island. (Photo by David Gray):

6. The vulnerability of coral reef ecosystems is due to the special conditions required for coral growth. The water temperature must not be lower than 17.5 °C. (Photo by David Gray):

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest ecosystem in the world because it is a colony of coral polyps. The development of this ecosystem depends on the conditions prevailing in shallow, sunlight-rich waters near the coast. Coral islands rise above the surface, formed over millions of years from the remains of coral polyps. More than 400 species of corals live here.

7. Great Barrier Reef near Lady Elliot Island. (Photo by David Gray):

8. Nowadays, the opportunity to see the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef with your own eyes attracts people from all over the world. Numerous pleasure boats with special viewing windows ply above the reefs. Tourism is an important component of economic activity in the region, which brings in more than $ 3 billion annually. (Photo by David Gray):

9. The main body of the reef consists of more than 2,900 individual reefs ranging in size from 0.01 sq. km to 100 sq. km, which are surrounded by almost 540 barriers, forming more than 600 offshore islands, including 250 continental islands. (Photo by David Gray):

10. About 1,500 species of marine fish live on the Great Barrier Reef. The number of only massively occurring species of truly reef fish that are maximally adapted to life in this particular ecosystem is about 500. The largest fish on earth, the whale shark, lives here. The South Reef Islands are a breeding ground for sea turtles. Six of the seven species are found in the waters of the reef, and all of them are endangered. (Photo by David Gray):

11. The Great Barrier Reef supports a huge variety of living organisms and because of this, in 1981, was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. However, over the past three decades, the Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals. (Photo by David Gray):

12. Huge damage to the fragile balance of coral reefs is caused by tropical hurricanes. No less harm is caused by other natural factors, including periodic bursts of the crown of thorns starfish population that feeds on coral polyps. In the early 1980s, these predators caused severe devastation on the Great Barrier Reef.

Today, coral reefs are the most affected by human activity. Mass tourism is also a known danger. With the development of tourism infrastructure, coastal sea waters are inevitably polluted. (Photo by David Gray):

13. Milky Way on Lady Elliot Island. (Photo by David Gray):

14. Most of the reefs are protected by over 5 million hectares of Marine National Park, which helps limit the impact of anthropogenic factors (human activities) such as fishing and tourism. (Photo by David Gray):

15. Great Barrier Reef, Australia. (Photo by David Gray):

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Filmed from the International Space Station. The picture clearly shows that the Great Barrier Reef in Australia consists of three reefs. This is a natural miracle of nature.

Morocco

Rugged, bone-like terrain in Morocco. The picture was taken by an engineer from the ISS as it flew over the country.

Paris

Night view of Paris from above. A whole new meaning is given to the nickname "City of Light"!

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

This photograph taken from Landsat 8 (a USGS satellite) shows the Hubbard Glacier thickening and growing. This is a rare occurrence given that most glaciers around the world are shrinking due to climate change.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

As the station flew over eastern North America, an ISS astronaut photographed the whirlpools forming in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

South Sandwich Islands

Masterpiece from NASA? Something like that. Satellite photographs show volcanic activity in the South Sandwich Islands. This is a group of uninhabited islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

Galapagos Islands

In the summer of 2015, a NASA satellite captured the eruption of the Wolf volcano. This highest volcano in the Galapagos Islands erupted for the first time in 33 years. The image shows areas covered with red lava. Solidified lava turns black.

Lake St. Clair

The Landsat 8 satellite captured the heart-shaped Lake St. Clair, which is in the Great Lakes system, during a strong algal bloom.

Bahamas

This series of tidal channels running between the islands is one of the most recognizable locations for astronauts aboard the ISS.

Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula at night.

August 9th, 2016

The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 1,500 species of fish, but this is just one of its many attractions in this amazing natural wonder. Known for its unrivaled natural diversity, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and is the only living thing on Earth that can be seen from space.

The Great Barrier Reef was recently named the best place in the world to visit by News and World Report. The ranking was based on a methodology that combined traveler opinions with expert analysis. These breathtaking photos will show why the Great Barrier Reef has won the top spot.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system. It is made up of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands and spans over 2240 kilometers.

The Great Barrier Reef runs along the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia, from the tip of the Cape York Peninsula to Bundaberg.

The Great Barrier Reef has an endless list of unique activities to offer tourists.

Of course, scuba diving is the most popular activity for tourists. Although the reef has suffered from the effects of climate change, it has unrivaled ecological diversity and much of it is hidden below the surface of the water.

For non-swimmers, these magnificent wonders can be viewed by sailing on glass bottom boats.

The Capricorn Coast and Queensland offer a variety of underwater tours.

Scenic helicopter tours offer a bird's-eye view of the reef - the best way to fully appreciate just how vast the Great Barrier Reef really is.

Hot air balloon rides offer the same aerial views, but at a slower pace.

Day trips to the islands in the Great Barrier Reef combine the best of both worlds: visitors can swim and snorkel among underwater wildlife and see the beauty of rainforests and sandy beaches.

For lovers of sailing types of recreation, the conditions are ideal here. Catamarans and other small boats can be rented. Large boats with their own crews can be rented for overnight or multi-day cruises.

Rafting on the Tully River in North Queensland requires no experience and offers the chance to see a world heritage listed rainforest.

No trip to Australia is complete without seeing some big creatures. At the Hartley Crocodile Farm, guests can see crocodiles up close and meet koalas.

The Rainforest Cable Car helps visitors discover Australia's rainforests.

An area steeped in history and heritage, North Queensland also offers one-of-a-kind dining, shopping and entertainment.

Guests can enjoy the finest Australian food and wine under ancient rainforest trees.

Off the coast of North Queensland, the village of Kuranda is a great place to learn about the life of the region's indigenous community.

Kuranda is also world famous for its markets. The shops are open every day of the year and offer a wide range of Aboriginal artifacts, handmade leather goods, jewelry and art.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches from south to north, originating at the Tropic of Capricorn, located between the cities of Bundaberg and Gladstone, and ending in the Torres Strait, which separates Australia from New Guinea. In the northern part, near Cape Melville, the coral complex is located only 32-50 km from the coast, and on the south side it breaks up into small groups of reef formations, in some places moving away from the coastline by 300 km. It is the last mentioned places that attract a huge number of diving fans.

The Great Barrier Reef is so huge that it can be seen from space. This fact is very impressive, given the size of the creatures that built the largest object ever created by living organisms. The system is formed by billions of small animals, the size of which usually does not exceed a grain of rice - coral polyps. Their appearance is like a tiny upside down jellyfish sitting in a stone bowl. They live together in colonies. Polyps are not able to build reefs on their own; for this, the wise mother nature sent them helpers. In this case, these are millions of microscopic algae imprisoned in the tentacles of animals. They convert sunlight into energy food for corals. This symbiosis allows them to turn minerals into calcium carbonate and build their rocky skeletons. So each colony develops and grows, enriching the area with whole limestone massifs. However, their world is very defenseless and fragile: even a slight increase in temperature - by one degree - can provoke the death of coral polyps.

Coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the oceans of the entire planet, but they are inhabited by a quarter of all marine life known to science, and the Great Barrier Reef is their largest shelter. It is for this reason that in 1981 UNESCO included it in the list of World Heritage Sites, and CNN awarded it the title of one of the seven wonders of the world.

The history of the existence of the reef takes its roots from ancient times. Hot Australia has not always been in the tropical climate zone: for many millennia it has been an integral part of Antarctica, and for most of its history, its coastal waters were too cold for coral life. The move to the tropics took place about 65 million years ago, coinciding with a period of sea level rise, which created favorable conditions for the growth of coral polyps in the northeastern part of its coast.

The origin of the reef occurred about 25 million years ago due to the movement of the Australian lithospheric plate. The coast of what is today Queensland was flooded with tropical waters, causing coral larvae brought by warm ocean currents to these places and entrenched on the ground. Over time, the colonies began to grow and cover the seabed, over the millennia giving rise to the Great Barrier Reef as it can be seen today. Thus, with the rise in the level of the World Ocean, an intensive growth of new layers simultaneously took place. The history of the reef layers under the surface visible to the observer, which is constantly updated, has about 10 thousand years. The youngest sites, located on the peaks of older ones, were formed during the last 200 years and are located at a depth of 15-20 meters.

For many hundreds of years, the Great Barrier Reef has attracted the attention of mankind: from ancient times to the present day, it has been used by the inhabitants of the Torres Islands and Australian Aborigines as an important component of the culture of local populations. However, Western civilization did not know about the existence of this natural monument for a long time.

Europeans learned about the grandiose living structure thanks to the famous navigator James Cook, who saw and realized the scale of this object in 1770. He literally stumbled upon a reef: one evening, Cook heard the rattle of the bottom of the Endeavor ship on a pitfall, as a result of which the ship received significant damage. Fortunately, the tide helped the situation to end safely - the ship was saved, and the expedition continued.

The main part of the reef is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs, ranging in size from 0.01 km² to 100 km². Most of them are hidden under the surface of the water, and in order to view the coral “sculptures” in more detail, you will have to use diving equipment and dive into the warm Pacific waters. You can see the peaks of coral formations dissecting the water surface only during low tides. Between the coast and the Great Barrier Reef, a rather shallow lagoon extends, the depth of which rarely exceeds 100 m.

The largest ecosystem in the world is famous not only for the huge variety of coral reefs, but also for its truly rich underwater world - there is hardly a place in the world that can compete with the Australian giant in abundance of marine life. Thousands of different creatures have found their home in this maritime metropolis. Many of them are exquisitely beautiful, some look like they stepped out of the pages of a science fiction magazine, and some are capable of bringing death in the blink of an eye.

The diversity of life forms in the Great Barrier Reef will not give researchers rest for a long time, because studying all the underwater richness of its flora and fauna is not such an easy task. About 400 species of corals have found their home in its expanses, striking with an abundance of forms and species. Like a fabulous underwater garden, the entire territory of the Great Barrier Reef is full of bright colors of coral reefs of all colors of the rainbow. The most common colors are various shades of red, yellow, sometimes white, orange, brown, and sometimes even lilac-purple. Soft coral representatives, which have hard crystalline structures called sclerites instead of a limestone skeleton in their tissues, cover the “bodies” of their stony relatives.

The giant complex of coral reefs has sheltered in its waters 1,500 species of marine fish, of which approximately 500 species are true reef species, the most adapted to life in these conditions. Also, 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 125 species of sharks and rays, 6 species of turtles, 14 species of sea snakes, about 5,000 species of molluscs and 1,300 species of crustaceans have found their refuge here. The number of fish living here includes their largest representative - the whale shark. In addition, the reef sheltered more than 200 species of birds in its open spaces.

Australia's most famous natural landmark receives about two million visitors annually, which brings the region more than $ 3 billion a year. In addition to a favorable impact on the country's economy, this also entails negative consequences that inevitably destroy the coral complex. The government of the country has set a number of restrictions focused on protecting the ecosystem, but human harm cannot be completely prevented. In addition, nature itself creates many dangers. These include the so-called efflorescence, which very quickly leads to the death of corals, and in huge quantities. This phenomenon is due to global warming, which affects the temperature of the water. Another enemy of the fragile balance of coral reefs is tropical hurricanes. But the crown of thorns starfish, whose size can reach up to 50 cm, has the status of the main enemy. These echinoderm predators feed exclusively on coral polyps. The most destructive period of devastation due to the vital activity of these pests occurred in the 80s of the last century.

Since 1985, the reef has lost more than half of the coral polyps that make up its structure, according to research conducted by the US National Academy of Sciences in October 2012.

The main resort of the north of Australia, its most exotic corner and, as people say, the main “gateway” of the Great Barrier Reef - the city of Cairns provides its guests with the opportunity to spend their vacation in the arms of one of the wonders of the world as much as possible. This area is famous for the fact that the coral islands are extremely close to the coast, and in just 1.5-2 hours of a fast boat walk you can reach the famous diving points. In addition, it is convenient to make trips to nearby national parks, nature reserves, ancient villages and other no less colorful places.

Many documentaries have been made about this unique place on the planet, the most famous of them being “BBC. Walks under water. The Great Barrier Reef (1991) and the series created by the same Air Force in 2012, The Great Barrier Reef. Films, of course, will reveal the general picture of the area, but in order to feel the grandeur of this miracle of nature, you need to see it with your own eyes.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world. This is a huge ridge, which is located in the Pacific Ocean off the northern and eastern coasts of Australia. It consists of almost 3 thousand individual coral reefs.

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the main ones, stretches for more than 2,500 km on the world map, it is the largest natural object in the world, which is formed by living organisms. It can be easily seen from space.

Description

The Great Barrier Reef is made up of miniature coral polyps. In the course of their life activity, they form a huge colony and create calcareous structures, which subsequently become coral reefs.

Thanks to this great coral reef, a huge number of microorganisms live in it. This is a real wonder of the world, which in the 80s of the last century was included in the famous UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.

Today, as a result of human economic activity, which includes tourism, the Great Barrier Reef is gradually being destroyed. Over the past 30 years, he has lost more than half of his coral polyps, according to Australian scientists.

Discovery history

This incredible natural object has been known to mankind since antiquity. The Great Barrier Reef was used by the Aborigines of Australia and the inhabitants of the islands located near the continent and has firmly entered their history and culture.

According to scientists, the Barrier Reef in Australia has existed for several million years. And today there, in warm, clean and transparent sea water, new polyps appear again and again, and young reefs are located on the tops of old formations.

Formally, the GBR was discovered by the famous English navigator James Cook in 1770, whose ship ran aground at low tide at the location of the Great Barrier Reef. The rising tide soon saved his ship and the entire crew.

This huge ecosystem is home to at least 400 species of red to copper coral. Most species have a hard skeleton, which later becomes the basis of coral islands, but there are also species with soft skeletons.

Several hundred species of fish adapted to this particular ecological system also live here, incl. whale shark, and the main enemy of the corals that make up the Great Barrier Reef, a starfish called the Crown of Thorns.

In these warm and clear waters, many species of whales breed, sea turtles, incl. endangered species. The Great Barrier Reef is home to a wide variety of crabs, shrimps, clams, octopuses and squid.