# data[].attributes.body
What are the problems that are giving rise to concern for the reefs?

Tourist kill the coral by walking on it, whilst tourist boats drop anchor allow their ropes to drag. Divers also touch the coral. All this will kill the coral .
Coral is also 'mined' for sale as tourist souvenirs
Tourist development will cause more sediment to get into rivers and the sea and cause a deterioration in the clarity of the seawater.
With the increase in development comes the side effects of sewage and rubbish being dumped into the ocean.
Fishermen are trying to catch more fish now to sell to the tourists. They do this by either drag netting, cyanide or dynamite . The loss of the fish causes an increase in the algae and this then takes over the reef.
As the balance becomes upset, the sea urchins increase in number. These 'eat' the coral and aid the destruction
Global warming is causes both a rise in sea level and an increase in temperature. The latter causes bleaching .

# data[].attributes.body
L

# data[].attributes.body
Loop zoop

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef hold an abundance of food and are the perfect feeding grounds for marine mammals including large numbers of dolphins and whales looking both for sheltered waters place to feed and care for their young. You can expect to find about 30 different species of whales and dolphins in the Great Barrier Reef's borders, with Humpback and Dwarf Minke whales along with Bottlenose dolphins being among the most common.

Humpback Whales

Probably the most iconic of all Australian whales is the Humpback Whale which is due to not their high numbers that visit on their annual migration along the Australian coast but also for their propensity to perform spectacular breaching and tail-slapping. This has made whale watching tour a favourite past time for Australians and tourists and has raised awareness about the need for protection and conservation. The Humpbacks, whose name is derived from the "humping" motion they make when diving back down below the surface, perform an annual migration between the waters of the Antarctic where they feed then head up north to the Great Barrier Reef's more tropical waters to give birth and raise their children. Humpbacks grow from 12 - 16 metres in size upon reaching adulthood and can usually be spotted on the reef in locations as far north as Cairns and the Whitsundays. Humpbacks spend their time in the Great Barrier Reef mostly for relaxation and play - having stocked up on a steady diet of krill and other forms of fish while in the Antarctic - letting their new calves build up body fat for insulation so they can survive the return journey back to the Antarctic's icy seas. Whales were frequently hunted in the 1940s-1960s which significantly depleted their population numbers but in recent years their population has begun to climb steadily once again from numbers as low as 200 during the peak era of whaling to an estimate of 26,000 in 2016. Multiple environmental groups have taken strong stands against whaling and for conservation of not only the Humpback but also many other groups, and it looks likely that their numbers will continue to increase in the coming years.

Dwarf Minke Whales

In the whale world, being called a "dwarf" is definitely a relative term - the Dwarf Minke Whales that can be found in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef still average just under eight metres in length, with a weight of up to five tons. Dwarf Minke whales, much like the Humpbacks, are a fairly social creature and will often approach boats and other marine vessels out of curiosity which makes spotting them - despite their relatively few numbers - quite an easy task. Dwarf Minkes are distinct from their larger cousins not only due to their slightly smaller size but also due to different bodily markings which are clearly visible. Common differences in colourations that can be found on the Dwarf Minke whale include white shoulder and flipper bases, grey tips on their flippers, and large dark patches which line their throats. Around 200 individual Dwarf Minke whales make their way to the Great Barrier Reef each season, with their distinctive markings making it quite easy to recognise individual members of the whale pod. As with the Humpbacks, Dwarf Minkes were also once targets of a thriving whaling industry; this has likewise been curtailed since regulations were put in place. Natural predators may also play a small factor as due to their slightly smaller size than the average whale, they become a target for such ocean predators as Tiger or Great White Sharks or Killer Whales. Small calves are also particularly vulnerable to attack, which can make the parents especially protective of their young.

Bottlenose Dolphins

With an uncannily "friendly" looking face and an inherently playful nature, Bottlenose dolphins are always favourites due to their ease and frequency of interaction with humans. Wide in number, Bottlenose dolphins can be found in cold-temperate to tropical seas all over the world, and are extremely intelligent creatures in general. As powerful swimmers, Bottlenose dolphins show an innate ability to escape from predators due to a combination of smarts and a top swimming speed of around 37 kilometres per hour. Due to their social nature, Bottlenose dolphins tend to travel in large groups and can be frequently seen accompanying tour boats that head out to the Great Barrier Reef, surfacing and cackling or playing in the wake of the ship and occasionally leaping out of the water in spectacular fashion. Bottlenose dolphins grow to a maximum size of 4 metres in length, and have a dark grey complexion near their top fin that then becomes lighter towards their underbellies. The diet of the Bottlenose Dolphin consists of a variety of smaller fish and marine life including Squid, Crab, prawns and other smaller creatures and are renowned for their teamwork in rounding up prey much like herding farm animals. In order to locate their food, the Dolphins use a form of "natural sonar" based on echoes and use it to determine both the location and distance of their potential target - yet another reflection of their intelligence. In fact, due to their smarts, dolphins have shown an easy ability to respond to training from humans and as a result are a fixture at many popular marine-based theme parks throughout the world where they can be seen performing spectacular stunts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Great Barrier Reef Threats - Information & Dangers | Greatbarrierreef

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef hold an abundance of food and are the perfect feeding grounds for marine mammals including large numbers of dolphins and whales looking both for sheltered waters place to feed and care for their young.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's seven natural wonders, it is a prized World Heritage Area, the largest reef system and the biggest living structure on the planet. It sprawls over a jaw-dropping 344,400 square kilometres - an area so large that it can be seen from space.

The Reef is composed of 3,000 individual reef systems, 600 tropical islands and about 300 coral cays. This complex maze of habitats provides refuge for an astounding variety of marine plants and animals - from ancient sea turtles, reef fish and 134 species of sharks and rays, to 400 different hard and soft corals and a plethora of seaweeds.

As one of the world's most popular tourist attractions, the Reef has a global reputation for its turquoise waters, kaleidoscopic corals and abundant life.

Together with the fishing industry, tourism reels in about $6 billion annually and supports some 69,000 Australian jobs. But the Reef is far more than an economic resource. It is a network of marine sanctuaries of unparalleled ecological importance - a place where beauty transcends business, where nature reigns supreme. How much greater can you get?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's seven natural wonders, it is a prized World Heritage Area, the largest reef system and the biggest living structure on the planet. It sprawls over a jaw-dropping 344,400 square kilometres - an area so large that it can be seen from space.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Greenpeace Australia is the leading independent campaigning organisation that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Coral reefs have survived tens of thousands of years of natural change, but many of them may not be able to survive the havoc brought by humankind.

Roughly one-quarter of coral reefs worldwide are already considered damaged beyond repair, with another two-thirds under serious threat.

Major threats to coral reefs and their habitats include:

Climate change: Corals cannot survive if the water temperature is too high. Global warming has already led to increased levels of coral bleaching, and this is predicted to increase in frequency and severity in the coming decades. Such bleaching events may be the final nail in the coffin for already stressed coral reefs and reef ecosystems.

Destructive fishing practices: These include cyanide fishing, blast or dynamite fishing, bottom trawling, and muro-ami (banging on the reef with sticks). Bottom-trawling is one of the greatest threats to cold-water coral reefs.

Overfishing: This affects the ecological balance of coral reef communities, warping the food chain and causing effects far beyond the directly overfished population.

Careless tourism: Careless boating, diving, snorkeling, and fishing happens around the world, with people touching reefs, stirring up sediment, collecting coral, and dropping anchors on reefs. Some tourist resorts and infrastructure have been built directly on top of reefs, and some resorts empty their sewage or other wastes directly into water surrounding coral reefs.

Urban and industrial waste, sewage, agrochemicals, and oil pollution are poisoning reefs. These toxins are dumped directly into the ocean or carried by river systems from sources upstream. Some pollutants, such as sewage and runoff from farming, increase the level of nitrogen in seawater, causing an overgrowth of algae, which 'smothers' reefs by cutting off their sunlight.

Sedimentation: Erosion caused by construction (both along coasts and inland), mining, logging, and farming is leading to increased sediment in rivers. This ends up in the ocean, where it can 'smother' corals by depriving them of the light needed to survive. The destruction of mangrove forests, which normally trap large amounts of sediment, is exacerbating the problem.

Coral mining: Live coral is removed from reefs for use as bricks, road-fill, or cement for new buildings. Corals are also sold as souvenirs to tourists and to exporters who don't know or don't care about the longer term damage done, and harvested for the live rock trade.

Find out what WWF is doing to protect coral reefs!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coral reefs have survived tens of thousands of years of natural change, but many of them may not be able to survive the havoc brought by humankind. Roughly one-quarter of coral reefs worldwide are already considered damaged beyond repair, with another two-thirds under serious threat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Despite the importance of coral reefs, these wildlife habitats are imperiled throughout the world. A recent report estimated that 75 percent of remaining coral reefs are currently threatened, and many have already been lost. Even some of the most remote and pristine reefs are losing species.

Warming Waters

Although there are many problems facing reefs today, rising seawater temperature as a result of climate change is one of the most serious causes of stress to corals throughout the world. When temperatures are too high, the relationship between corals and their symbiotic microalgae breaks down. The algae are what give corals some of their bright colors, so when this happens, corals appear white or "bleached." Just one degree above the typical summer max is enough to bleach many corals. If the temperature is too high for too long, corals and their microalgae are unable to recover. Over the past 30 years, bleaching has become more frequent, more intense, and more widespread. This has led to massive die offs of corals throughout the world.

Warmer ocean temperatures cause even more problems when it comes to disease - high temperatures allow corals to become sick more easily, and allow disease-causing organisms to grow faster. There is a huge array of different diseases in corals. Most of them are named after how they change a sick coral's appearance, like black band, white band, white spot and purple blotch diseases.

Ocean Acidification

As more carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere, it also has adverse effects on the oceans. Recently, ocean acidification has emerged as another potentially serious threat to coral reefs. Seawater absorbs some of the excess CO2 from the atmosphere, causing the oceans to become more acidic. As a result, the oceans' acidity has increased by 25 percent over the past 200 years. These acidic conditions dissolve coral skeletons, which make up the structure of the reef, and make it more difficult for corals to grow. If left unchecked, scientists estimate that the oceans could become 150 percent more acidic by the end of this century, making it very hard for corals to grow at all.

Other Threats

Coral reefs are also being degraded by many other factors. The list of problems can seem endless: overfishing, fishing using cyanide and dynamite, pollution from sewage and agriculture, massive outbreaks of predatory starfish, invasive species, and sedimentation from poor land use practices. Reefs and their wildlife across the world are also affected by destructive fishing and exploitation to supply the coral reef wildlife trade. Fish, corals, and various invertebrates are all taken from reef habitats to serve as aquarium pets or decorative items. Although this trade can be conducted sustainably, wildlife populations are often overexploited to feed the demand for these animals. Sometimes poisons like cyanide are dumped into the water to stun fish and make them easier to capture. Sadly, fishing with cyanide often kills fish, corals, and other forms of wildlife, while degrading the reef habitat itself.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite the importance of coral reefs, these wildlife habitats are imperiled throughout the world. A recent report estimated that 75 percent of remaining coral reefs are currently threatened, and many have already been lost. Even some of the most remote and pristine reefs are losing species.

# data[].attributes.headline
General - what is coral and where is it found?

# data[].attributes.subject
General - what is coral and where is it found?

# data[].attributes.body
this website has a map to show the location of coral, explains why it is important, and what it is.

# data[].attributes.body
The first section is the best bit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The history of the Great Barrier Reef is a long and diverse one, where many generations of coral have built a habitat that eventually was discovered and then later settled by humans.

The Great Barrier Reef is an extremely ancient, enormous host of living things, composed of living coral growing on dead coral dating back perhaps as much as twenty million years. Many generations of dead coral have built themselves into great walls of stone covered in a diverse range of living organisms such as coral, algae, anemones, sponges, fish, worms, starfish, turtles, molluscs, snakes, crustaceans, and an extraordinary array of thousands of species of plants and animals.

Although there is no direct physical evidence, first human contact with the reef must've occurred for some time. We know that Aboriginal people occupied great parts of the Australian continent for around 40,000 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have fished and hunted its waters and navigated between the islands of the reef region.

For large parts of that time, during periods of glacial activity, the area of the Great Barrier Reef was dry with large flat coastal plains. This area is at a depth of less than one hundred metres below sea level today.

More information is available about the activities of early Europeans who came into contact with the eastern coast of Australia. Almost from the first, there are written descriptions of the Great Barrier Reef by those who saw it. North Queensland was probably the first part of the continent seen by Europeans, but one of the last to be settled.

It is now widely believed that the east coast of Australia was first sighted around 1522 by a Portuguese expedition, probably led by Cristovao de Mendonca. Willem Jansz in the Duyfken in about March 1606 charted the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, starting forty years of maritime exploration in Australian waters by the Dutch. Later Luis de Torres sighted the islands of Torres Strait while sailing from east to west along the southern coast of Papua.

The earliest documentary evidence of Europeans sighting the Great Barrier Reef was French. Commanding the ships La Boudeuse and L'Etoile On 6 June 1768, Louis de Bougainville approached Australia from the east, encountering Bougainville Reef near Cooktown. Confronted by rough surf in the open ocean, and short of food, Bougainville turned north toward Asia along the north coast of New Guinea, missing Australia.

These early fleeting glimpses of the Great Barrier Reef throughout the early history of the area were only minor compared to what occurred from May to August 1770, when the Endeavour under James Cook sailed the length of the Great Barrier Reef. Most of the voyage was made well inshore, probably seeing little of the Reef. However on 11 June, Cook's party became intimately acquainted with it when they struck Endeavour Reef, north of Cape Tribulation, and were forced to spend six weeks repairing the ship on shore at the site of modern Cooktown.

Due to this unexpected predicament, Cook and his scientists, the botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander and a staff of four illustrators, were able to carry out very little direct scientific observation of the Reef but as a result of Cook's voyage, the international scientific community knew that the Reef existed, and that it was of very great extent.

After all repairs were done, Cook decided to try for the open sea, but could not find a way through the natural barrier. He sailed north to Lizard Island. Landing on the island, he and his botanist, Joseph Banks, climbed to its highest point and were able to see a break in the reef large enough to permit the passage of the Endeavour. This is known as Cook's Passage.

William Bligh was the next navigator in Australia's early history to chart the Reef in the Providence. In the course of this voyage from Tahiti to the West Indies he spent two weeks of September 1792 charting passages through Torres Strait. After the establishment of the penal colony of Sydney in 1788, finding a reliable route west through the straits to the Arafura Sea and establishing communication with Asia depended on the inner passage west of the Reef.

In 1793 further surveys of the Torres Strait section of the Reef were undertaken by captains Bampton and Alt in the ships Hormuzeer and Chesterfield. The next few decades ushered in a period of surveying in northern Australian waters, usually by small naval vessels. The aim of these surveys was to improve navigational charts for Admiralty use, investigate natural resources for future economic exploitation, and to answer questions of scientific curiosity.

Between 1801 and 1803, Matthew Flinders undertook the monumental task of surveying the entire Australian coastline and at one point actually walked on what he named the 'Extensive Barrier Reefs'. It was Flinders who charted a safe passage through by sending small boats ahead to sound the depths. This passage is still known as Flinder's Passage.

Hydrographer Philip Parker King, commanding the Mermaid in 1819 and the Bathurst in 1820, carried on the methodical task of accurately charting much of the northern Reef in detail for the first time.

Today studies are carried out at a much closer level, examining the make up of the reef, what species there are, how they live and interact, whether they are resilient or vulnerable to change. However, there is still evidence of an earlier period of discovery evident on the Great Barrier Reef, with around 30 shipwreck sites of historic importance known to exist.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History and Evolution of the Great Barrier Reef

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The history of the Great Barrier Reef is a long and diverse one, where many generations of coral have built a habitat that eventually was discovered and then later settled by humans. The Great Barrier Reef is an extremely ancient, enormous host of living things, composed of living coral growing on dead coral dating back perhaps as much as twenty million years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's best-known natural landmarks. This Australian icon is pretty impressive close up and boasts intriguing statistics, below are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions and interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: The Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination with over two million visitors each year. Tourism to the reef generates approximately AU$6 billion per year to the Australian economy and over 60,000 full-time jobs.

Fact: The Great Barrier Reef is a great holiday destination for families and kids, attracting millions of visitors each year who come to enjoy its natural beauty in and out of the water.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system and is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs.

Area: 348,700 km² (133,000 sq miles) or 34,870,000 ha

Width: The reef ranges between 60 and 250 kilometres in width

Length: The reef stretches over 2,300 kilometres from the northern tip of Queensland to just north of Bundaberg

Depth: The has an average depth of 35 metres in waters close to shore, while on outer reefs, continental slopes extend down to depths of more than 2000 metres

The Great Barrier Reef has around 3000 coral reefs and over 900 islands (made up of around 600 continental islands and 300 coral cays)

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's largest single structure made by living organisms.
Read more: How big is the Great Barrier Reef?
Yep, It's big. How big?

Ever wondered how big the Great Barrier Reef actually is?

The Great Barrier Reef is greater in size than Tasmania and Victoria combined.

The Great Barrier Reef is greater in size than the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined.

The Great Barrier Reef is approximately the same area as Italy, Germany, Malaysia or Japan.

The Great Barrier Reef is roughly half the size of Texas.

Fact: Thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed.

Fact: 215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) visit the reef or nest or roost on the islands.

Fact: Seventeen species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef.

Fact: Around 10 percent of the world's total fish species can be found just within the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: There are at least 330 species of ascidians on the reef system.

Learn more about the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is an extremely ancient, enormous host of living things, composed of living coral growing on dead coral dating back perhaps as much as twenty million years.
Learn more about the History of the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: Climate change is perhaps the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: Warmer ocean temperatures put stress on coral and lead to coral bleaching.

Fact: The Great Barrier Reef has experienced several mass coral bleaching events in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017 and 2020. Bleaching is expected to become an annual occurance, when aerial surveys showed that over 50% of reefs experienced some coral bleaching.

Fact: Sediment, nutrient and agriculture pesticide pollution from river catchment run-off is also affecting the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

Fact: Too much or poorly managed tourism could be a risk to the reef, fortunately tourism on the reef is very well managed at the moment.

There are many great places to stay on the Great Barrier Reef, with a variety of experiences waiting for you. You could stay on an island, be it a resort like Hamilton Island, or something more isolated and remote such as Haggerstone Island.

There is also a multitude of resorts and hotels in the cities and towns along the coast of the Great Barrier reef, catering to all types of visitors.

The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful all year round. The stinger season is from around November to May. During this time you need to swim inside the stinger enclosures at the beaches or wear a stinger suit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover some interesting and fun facts about the Great Barrier Reef. How big is the reef? What threatens the Great Barrier Reef?