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Why did you pick your topic?
I chose my topic because this is really starting to affect our planet severely. Not only with the Great Barrier Reef but with the weather. For example, it snowed in Hawaii for the first time ever. People need to be aware of the damage we are causing to our very own home.

What intrigues you with this topic on your research so far?
A fact from one of the articles that i read stated that the weather and water temperature is changing the water chemicals. Which is causing the corals to be bleached which is causing them to die.

Have you learned anything yet about this issue that you didn't know before?
Like the answer above, i never knew climate change could cause chemical changes. I also didn't know that the water temperature was rising, i only thought that it was the sea levels that were rising.

What questions will guide your research. In other words, what are you wondering and what will you need to seek out information about?
I wonder if there's any way we would be able to reverse the damage that we have already caused. I also am wondering if this chemical change is going to affect other species in the ocean. Could there be a possibility of many ocean species going extinct?

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The Great Barrier Reef is in grave danger. The twin perils brought by climate change - an increase in the temperature of the ocean and in its acidity - threaten its very existence.

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Rising of temperature leads to mass bleaching.
Rainfall sends freshwater and sediment out into the ocean.
Water levels rising causes erosion and takes away area for fresh water organisms.
Ocean's chemistry affects the way corals build their skeletons.

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The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia has seen two massive bleaching events over the span of two years. And that's led to a widespread die-off of the corals, according to a new study.

Through close observations of the world's largest coral reef system, scientists are taking stock of the extent of the damage from higher water temperatures due to global warming. They mapped the patterns of heat exposure on more than 1,400 miles of reef and monitored which corals are dying, in order to understand the future of these reefs.

It's a future that looks vastly changed.

"This has really been an event that is changing the character of these reefs, and now that these marine heat waves are coming more frequently and more severely, we expect this sort of damage to keep occurring on coral reefs around the world," says Mark Eakin of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch.

The bleaching "has changed the whole community of coral living on many of these reefs, killing many of the more temperature-sensitive corals and just leaving a community that's been sort of flattened or homogenized," he says.

Either of the catastrophic back-to-back bleachings "would have been the worst they've ever seen," says Eakin.

The die-off has caused the collapse of the ecosystem for 29 percent of the 3,863 reefs in the giant coral reef system, according to research published today in Nature. The detailed mapping builds on previous research that relied primarily on aerial surveys, and was conducted by a team of Australian and U.S. scientists.

The scientists are worried because they found that corals were dying at a lower level of heat stress than they expected to see, says Eakin. It's possible that could be because reefs in the extreme north of the Great Barrier Reef have not been exposed to significant heat stress in the past, "and so that impact most quickly and at lower temperatures than we might expect elsewhere."

The higher-than-usual water temperatures shock the reefs, often causing important algae to disappear and turning the once vibrantly colored corals pale. Eventually, many will die. But not all of them.

"This is looking at how the mortality from heat stress affects the coral communities - who lives and who dies," says Eakin. Some die quickly from heat stress, the study found, while others die more slowly as algae that lives there is depleted.

Those corals that live, he says, "tend to be tougher, more rugged coral that are found in a wide array of locations." Those most likely to die, he says, are largely faster-growing varieties. It's possible that the faster-growing types could recover but only if enough of them survive in the area.

"You need to have the ability for the new larval corals to recruit in from other reefs or for there to be enough survivors in place," he says. Many of the damaged reefs don't have easy access to these baby corals to repopulate the species that once lived there.

Generally, prospects for recovery are bleak. The fastest growers might take 10 to 15 years to recover, Eakin says. The big, mature corals can take decades or centuries.

And there are major questions about whether coral will have time to bounce back before other bleaching events, which are happening faster than ever before. "It's about once every six years, so these events are coming more frequently than the coral can recover," Eakin says.

What this is likely to mean, he says, is that coral reefs will be much less diverse in the future than they are now, with heat-tolerant varieties most likely to survive.

"Diverse coral communities are needed to have diverse fish and shrimp and crab and worms and all of the other species that live on reefs," says Eakin. "So as these events continue into the future, we're going to see much simpler coral reefs ... and if we don't take care of the problem of human-caused climate change we're going to lose a lot of the world's coral reefs."

This research is focused on the bleaching event in 2016, which hit the northern areas of the reef the hardest. The bleaching event of 2017 hit further south, and scientists are now trying to determine the extent of that damage, particularly for areas that were hit by both marine heat waves.

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Climate Change Is Killing Coral On The Great Barrier Reef

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The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia has seen two massive bleaching events over the span of two years. And that's led to a widespread die-off of the corals, according to a new study. Through close observations of the world's largest coral reef system, scientists are taking stock of the extent of the damage from higher water temperatures due to global warming.

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Algae has disappeared which have cost corals to go from colorful to pale.
29% of the reefs have died out from the bleaching.
Every 6 years major bleaching occurs.
The coral can heal within decades or even up to a century but the bleaching events have become more frequent.

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This is part of our series " Rebooting the Reef" on efforts to save one of the world's greatest natural wonders.

No one would challenge the majesty of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Nearly 1,500 miles long, the reef is alight with a kaleidoscope of vivid colours. It's home to roughly 9,000 species of fish, molluscs, whales, sea turtles and other creatures. In 1981, the reef was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a status that helps it draw 2 million visitors a year.

It's also dying. At our own hands.

Two major bleaching events have wracked the Great Barrier Reef over the last two years, leaving chunks of it dead. Bleachings happen when the coral expels tiny algae, called zooxanthellae, that live inside it and provide its food and create its rainbow hues. Without zooxanthellae, the reef's tissue turns transparent and the coral starves.

Global warming, fueled by our reliance on petroleum and coal, has pushed ocean temperatures 0.68 Celsius over the past century. That might not seem like much, but it's enough to prompt the coral and algae to abandon their symbiotic relationship. While coral doesn't die immediately, the bleachings have been intense enough to kill huge swaths of one of the world's most stunning natural wonders, including 29 percent of its shallow-water coral in 2016 alone.

"Everybody thinks we've got to worry about saving the Great Barrier Reef for future generations," says Daniel Harrison, a research fellow at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, who's working on a project to brighten clouds so that they reflect sunlight away from the reef. "We've got to worry about saving the reef for our generation."

It isn't too late to save the Great Barrier Reef and other coral outcroppings, like those in the Caribbean, that are affected by rising sea temperatures. Australia and Queensland, the state where the reef is located, are committing roughly AU$200 million ($157 million) a year to preserving its glory. Organizations like the Ocean Agency and Great Barrier Reef Legacy are marshalling resources to save reefs. Movie star Leonardo DiCaprio has generated celebrity attention, telling the US Department of State last year that he saw " colourless, ghostlike coral" on a reef trip. He was also named a UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change in 2014.

We've got to worry about saving the reef for our generation.

Cutting-edge technology, much of it developed in Australia, can also play a role in repairing the reef, though it won't substitute for curbing climate change. At James Cook University in Queensland, a research team is using sonar to create a 3D map of the reef. At the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the government has built an artificial ocean to examine the effects of global warming on coral. And at the University of Western Australia, one scientist is hoping to discover the secrets of coral's genes and selectively breed heat-resistant specimens.

Over the coming week, CNET will examine efforts to save the Great Barrier Reef. That activity is vital because we'll lose more than a beautiful tourist destination if nothing is done. Coral reefs are a source of food and medicine. Six million fishermen are estimated to ply the waters of coral reefs around the world, and reef fish provide protein for roughly a billion people. Scientists have developed cancer, cardiovascular and ulcer treatments from reef plants and animals, while coral's structure has been used to make advanced bone grafts.

In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef generates an estimated AU$6 billion in economic activity, according to the Queensland government. The reef, either directly or indirectly, supports 69,000 jobs. Losing it would be a hit to Australia's economy, one of the strongest in the world.

And the Great Barrier Reef isn't called a "barrier" for nothing. It's a coastal defence against tropical storms and strong ocean movements. Australia's peaceful shores might not be as serene without coral reefs protecting them.

In short, losing the Great Barrier Reef would be a tragedy.

Made up of 3,000 individual reefs, the Great Barrier Reef stretches from the tip of Queensland, down to Hervey Bay, just north of Brisbane. It's as big as Germany, covering 347,800 square kilometers (134,000 square miles). It's one of the most diverse habitats in the world, ranked near tropical rainforests for biodiversity.

Coral doesn't die straight away when bleached. If the stress isn't too intense and bleaching events are infrequent, coral and its inhabitants can return to normal in a decade or two. Marine biologists know this because bleachings have occasionally happened after heavy rainfalls, such as a cyclone, or after a particularly warm summer.

"Corals will recover, but to do that they need time," explains Christian Roth, Great Barrier Reef research coordinator for Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. "If through climate change, for instance, the frequency of such ocean warming events or major cyclones increases over time, it means that there's less time between individual events for the corals to recover."

The year between the Great Barrier Reef's 2016 and 2017 bleachings, which were caused by climate change and exacerbated by Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie, isn't long enough for recovery. The bleachings were so bad the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority hasn't been able to determine how much of the reef died. Some of the reef's corals have started to recover, though more corals are expected to be dead by the end of this year.

The effects of climate change compound the impact other human activity has on the reef. Polluted water runs off of the land, stressing coral. It comes in many forms: sediment from soil erosion and ports; nitrogen and phosphorus after crop fertilisation; and untreated waste from cities. Overfishing changes the natural balance of the reef, contributing to its struggle to recover.

The story of the crown-of-thorns starfish, which eats coral, pulls together the threads of man's role in destroying the reef.

Farmers in Queensland use lots of fertiliser to grow sugar cane, a key crop. Some of the fertiliser makes its way to the reef, where the nitrogen in it prompts algal blooms. That, in turn, encourages a population boom in starfish that eat algae as larvae before turning to coral for food as adults.

Over the last three decades, the reef has been plagued by multiple explosions of the crown-of-thorns starfish population, including a current boom that's linked to high nitrogen levels. According to the Marine Park Authority, the rising starfish population comes as overfishing thins its natural predators, like the giant triton snail.

"A cyclone happens once off over a period of days. Coral bleaching might happen over, say, a period of a month or two," says Cherie Motti, an ecologist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. "But crown-of-thorns starfish are there pretty much until all the coral is eaten."

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is large and diverse. Reefs close to the shore are affected by river runoff. Outer reefs aren't. Southern reefs, in cooler waters farther from the equator, won't feel the brunt of bleaching. Those in the tropics will. There's no one-size-fits-all solution to saving it.

Efforts to help the reef recover are underway. Stricter fishing rules have been imposed, pollution has been limited and some dredging banned. Scientists at the CSIRO, James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, which runs a mammoth Sea Simulator near the reef, are looking for solutions.

But it will take more than Australia to save the Great Barrier Reef and its sister reefs around the world. The surest way to save them is to curb global warming.

"If we don't do anything," CSIRO's Roth says, "there's a high likelihood of very large areas of reefs basically disappearing across the world."

First published Oct. 18, 5:00 a.m. PT.
Update, Oct. 19, 11:56 a.m. PT: Adds reports of improved conditions at some coral beds and map showing extent of bleachings.

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We have time to save the Great Barrier Reef from global warming

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This is part of our series " Rebooting the Reef" on efforts to save one of the world's greatest natural wonders. No one would challenge the majesty of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Nearly 1,500 miles long, the reef is alight with a kaleidoscope of vivid colours.

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Coral reefs are a source of medicine and food.
Surgeons are able to use advanced bone rafts from the coral's structure.
Losing the GBR can cause a great change in Australia's economy, which happens to be one of the strongest in the world.
There are many factors that are affecting its ability to heal.

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What are your thoughts about how you will organize your information? What seems to be the logical order of ideas?
I believe that the outline will help me keep track of the information and from which articles they come from. I was going to start off with the bleaching events and explain why they occurred. As well as elaborating on the factors that caused it and events that could occur if we keep on with the habits that we have that is affecting the Great Barrier Reef.
What background information will be essential for you to include in your paper so your topic makes sense to any reader?
I was planning on including the background information in the introduction part of my essay. I believe that it is essential to include the bleaching events as background information. I could then leave the causes and many other things for the body of my essay. I could also include how just in general the issue about global warming and how it is affecting the environment as well as the animals that live in said environments.
How do you plan to keep track of which ideas come from which article as you start to outline?
When starting the outline, I thought that rereading the articles as I went would be a way of keeping track of my ideas as well as where they came from so I could give proper credit. For example lets say paragraph one would coordinate to article one. If an article ends up needing more than one paragraph it would continue on until I finish off the idea. Then I would start with the second article and so on.
What creative ideas do you have for your introduction or conclusion?
I believe that if I start off with a very shocking fact it would create a good hook to capture the reader. I could use a fact about the world itself and how its deteriorating but I also need to be careful and not get off topic. That will take me a while to solve and make sure it all ties together and it all makes sense. In the conclusion I was planning on stating some ways we could work on this issue. If we want to fix this problem then we all need to start now because some damage is irreversible.
How many paragraphs may you need?
I will need many paragraphs to explain what is happening to The Great Barrier Reef. People should know the harsh reality of all of our actions and how it is affecting the very planet we live on. I will also need to elaborate and demonstrate how many of the world's wonders was years ago then compared to this very day.

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More intense droughts, high intensity rainfall events, and tropical cyclones can deliver sediments and pollutants to the ocean.
Cyclones have been reported to break corals therefore they are dangerous.
With more ships sailing in the area there is a higher risk of damages done to the GBR.

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How do you feel about your information and the research process so far?
So far, the information is upsetting because I found multiple times that about 29% of the reefs have died out from the bleaching. So far in this research i have found that basically in due time if the weather acts up like it has been recently, the Great Barrier Reef will die if it has no time to heal itself.
What types of information do you have?
I have percentages from bleaching, facts about why bleaching occurs, facts of the average amount of time it takes for the corals to heal. There is also a chart of the ocean's temperature rising and what years it has risen. There are many tables in article #4.
Do you understand your topic fully? What gaps are there in your research that you may need to explore more?
I understand my topic. It's very simple, if we don't do something about the climate we are going to lose the extravagant things we have on this planet. I may need to explore more about solutions and what is currently happening with the reef now because some of this articles are from the bleaching in 2016 and 2017.
Is there anything confusing or conflicting in your research?
It's very conflicting that we're not doing anything about global warming/ the climate. The GBR isn't as colorful anymore it's turning pale. Which shows that we really need to take action now because there's even more damage that could occur more than now. For example, it snowed in Corona, Corona! It never snows in Corona and that just shows global warming.

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Cool.org (Cool Australia) supports primary and secondary teachers with high-quality, downloadable education resources like lesson plans, worksheets, activities and professional learning courses.

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How do you feel about what you have created?
I am very excited and happy. I have never written anything this long before and i'm excited to receive comments from you to see how I can improve as a writer.
What are you most proud of?
I am really proud of the fact that I was able to write this much about this subject. I am also proud that I found a lot of good sources to draw facts from. It was nice learning a lot of a problem we have going on in the world.
What was the hardest part of the research paper process?
The hardest part for me was the counter argument because I really can't see a negative side of trying to help one of the world's greatest wonders.
What have you learned?
I already knew that we were starting to affect the world negatively, but now I learned how drastically we are changing everything. If we are to continue with our ways we are going to kill one of the most precious things on this planet.
What do you want the world to know about your topic?
I want people to think about their day to day routines. Is having all we want seriously worth losing one of the world's greatest wonders and the animals that go along with it?

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News of the Great Barrier Reef dying came as a shock to the world. One of the largest ecosystems in the world had its obituary printed and it's not coming back. Once coral bleaching occurs, it becomes nearly impossible to save the reef. That means the solutions to coral bleaching must be proactive in nature. Here are the ways we can all make a difference starting right now.

1. Conserve water.

If we use less water, then there is a lower risk of sending wastewater or runoff into the waters that support coral reefs. Less pollution means a lower risk of a bleaching event.

2. Reduce emissions.

Fossil fuels create emissions, such as carbon dioxide, that affect the temperature of ocean waters. Higher temperatures or temperature swings may contribute to the bleaching process. Without emission controls, the risk of future mass bleaching events will continue to rise.

3. Know what products you use every day.

Just because you don't live near a coral reef doesn't mean your decisions won't affect them. If you use fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or similar products, then these products can enter the water system, eventually reach the ocean, and harm the coral reefs.

4. Pick up the beach.

Leaving trash at the beach will pollute local water supplies. If you like to walk the beach, bring along a trash bag so you can remove any garbage that the high tide may have deposited. Once the waves come back and pick up the trash again, you never know where it might end up.

5. Plant a tree.

Trees help to reduce carbon dioxide at the local levels. Even planting just one tree can make a small, but positive difference in the world today.

6. Practice responsible diving, snorkeling, and boating activities.

If you touch a coral reef, then you will potentially damage this fragile ecosystem. Just one bit of damage can be enough to cause stress in the reef and begin the bleaching process. Look for a clear sea floor to set an anchor. Never touch a reef when diving and snorkeling. By being responsible with these activities, we can help to promote life within our surviving reefs.

The solutions to coral bleaching are not dramatic steps we must take. With simple lifestyle changes, we can make a meaningful and proactive difference. This way we can preserve our remaining coral reefs for future generations to enjoy.

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6 Solutions to Coral Bleaching - Vision Launch

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News of the Great Barrier Reef dying came as a shock to the world. One of the largest ecosystems in the world had its obituary printed and it's not coming back. Once coral bleaching occurs, it becomes nearly impossible to save the reef. That means the solutions to coral bleaching must be proactive in nature.

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The Great Barrier Reef is under increasing pressure from a combination of local threats and global climate change. With these pressures projected to grow into the future, reef islands and their adjoining reefs will play an increasingly important role as habitat refuges - home to thousands of species of animals, many facing an uncertain future in the face of global climate change.

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During the November 2016 coral spawning, Professor Harrison and his team travelled to the Great Barrier Reef's Heron Island for the Australian-first trial.

They collected vast quantities of coral eggs and sperm during mass spawning, using them to grow more than a million coral larvae, and then delivered the larvae onto reef patches in underwater mesh tents.

Eight months later Professor Harrison's team returned to Heron Island to discover more than 100 surviving juvenile corals established on the settlement tiles out on the Reef.

The research was not without its challenges including the need for careful rearing of coral larval cultures and complex diving operations on the reef by the research team.

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During the November 2016 coral spawning, Professor Harrison and his team travelled to the Great Barrier Reef's Heron Island for the Australian-first trial. They collected vast quantities of coral eggs and sperm during mass spawning, using them to grow more than a million coral larvae, and then delivered the larvae onto reef patches in underwater mesh tents.