The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest reef system with over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching over 344,000 square kilometres and is the largest natural forming single structure in the world and can even be seen from space.
Located in the Coral sea off the coast of Qeensland in north – east Australia it is an amazing place to see and to visit, the Reef includes snorkelling, sight seeing and is of significant interest to scientists and environment groups.
The natural beauty and importance to marine life as one of the richest and complex ecosystems on the planet is well known. While there are other coral reefs in the world, the great barrier reef is unique in it’s size and for this reason is an important global resource.
UNESCO listed the site as a natural World Heritage in 1981 because it was a significant landmark and attraction to Queensland and Australia and needs to be preserved. The Reef is the largest natural forming coral reef in the world and is home to millions of organisms and sea creatures, including many rare and endangered species.
The forms of life include over 300 species, including, hard coral, anemones sponges, worms, lobster, crayfish, crabs and prawns and a large number of birds and fishes. As well as the many beautiful creatures that inhabit the waters there are other more destructive reef animals such as the crown-of-thorns starfish. This has been responsible for much destruction of the reef and causes much concern for scientists. This is one of the main reasons UNESCO have taken action to protect the welfare of the Reef from all the current dangers that are threatening the survival. In addition to the destructive reef animals listed above, other natural causes such as global warming and human caused dangers such as oil spills are of concern.
This has lead to increased management and control of the reef, especially in regard to tourist crafts. Many people from all over the world visit Queensland every year and the Great Barrier Reef is one of the top five destinations. The Reef earns over one billion dollars each year in tourism, making it one of the top destinations worldwide. Although this brings good things for the economy, it is important to find a balance between protecting the reef and enjoying it as a tourist attraction.
The Great Barrier reef is extremely beautiful, very large and colourful with lots of unique marine life. The coral reefs expand over a large space of area and from the air looks transparent and very blue. The coral is pink and the water is crystal clear and warm all year around, making it very exciting to snorkel.
According to Wikipedia, the criteria for a natural world heritage listing must include the following.
§ (vii) "contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance"
§ (viii) "is an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features"
§ (ix) "is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals"
§ (x) "contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation"
The Great Barrier Reef meets all of these requirements and this is why it was listed in 1981.
The Great Barrier Reefs ecosystem supports the greatest concentration of marine life on this planet and is very important for its natural and ecological importance..
As well as its natural and ecological importance, the Great Barrier Reef has cultural and historical relevance with human involvement dating back to the 17th century.
In conclusion, not only does the Great Barrier Reef provide us with a thriving tourist attraction, it also represents the foundations for local and recreation fishing. More important, it reminds us of the importance of nature and how dependant we are as humans on this balance The Reef does deserve to be a world heritage site based on all the evidence given above.