Does tourism affect The Great Barrier Reef?
Monday 31st August 2015
Stretching 2300 kilometres this natural icon, The Great Barrier Reef, is so large it can be seen from outer space. It includes 600 types of soft and hard corals, more than 100 species of jelly fish, 3000 varieties of molluscs, 500 species of worms, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. The Great Barrier Reef has two distinct seasons; a winter period of warm temperatures and low rainfall, and a summer period of mild temperatures and higher rainfall.
Monday 31st August 2015
Stretching 2300 kilometres this natural icon, The Great Barrier Reef, is so large it can be seen from outer space. It includes 600 types of soft and hard corals, more than 100 species of jelly fish, 3000 varieties of molluscs, 500 species of worms, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. The Great Barrier Reef has two distinct seasons; a winter period of warm temperatures and low rainfall, and a summer period of mild temperatures and higher rainfall.
Temperature and Sunlight are two abiotic factors found in nearly every ecosystem, but since the Great Barrier Reef is an aquatic ecosystem, it has some additional abiotic components, including, buoyancy, viscosity, light, salt, gases, and water density. Buoyancy refers to the force that supports the weight of an organism. Viscosity is the resistance to the movement of sea water. These two abiotic factors contribute to the movement of fish and sea mammals. Light penetrates the ocean surface only about 20 meters. There is much more salt in the Great Barrier Reef than in a fresh water ecosystem. The density of water in the Great Barrier Reef changes with depth, which changes the biotic components that can live in a given depth.
Tourism involves many people who visit this magnificent marine ecosystem, The Great Barrier Reef. Although it is wonderful that tourists come to visit, there are negative aspects of this. Coral Reefs live in very precise, fragile and balanced marine environments. The slightest change can have a huge impact on the entire coral ecosystem. At this present time, more than half of the world’s coral Reefs are at a high risk. Since corals are the main attraction to these national parks, their destruction will cause a significant decrease in the ecotourism in these areas. If coral becomes extinct in the Great Barrier Reef, the money and jobs created from the reef will become obsolete as well. Climate change is the biggest threat to the Reef’s future. It can affect the Reef in a number of ways, including increased frequency of severe weather events, ocean acidification, rising sea temperature and rising sea levels. Rising sea temperatures has a negative impact in the species life cycles and this could have a consequence to the food webs. Another significant impact humans have had on the coral reef ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reef is pollution. We often see pictures of animals suffering from rubbish which has been blown into the ocean, like this one below:
Tourism involves many people who visit this magnificent marine ecosystem, The Great Barrier Reef. Although it is wonderful that tourists come to visit, there are negative aspects of this. Coral Reefs live in very precise, fragile and balanced marine environments. The slightest change can have a huge impact on the entire coral ecosystem. At this present time, more than half of the world’s coral Reefs are at a high risk. Since corals are the main attraction to these national parks, their destruction will cause a significant decrease in the ecotourism in these areas. If coral becomes extinct in the Great Barrier Reef, the money and jobs created from the reef will become obsolete as well. Climate change is the biggest threat to the Reef’s future. It can affect the Reef in a number of ways, including increased frequency of severe weather events, ocean acidification, rising sea temperature and rising sea levels. Rising sea temperatures has a negative impact in the species life cycles and this could have a consequence to the food webs. Another significant impact humans have had on the coral reef ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reef is pollution. We often see pictures of animals suffering from rubbish which has been blown into the ocean, like this one below:
This is an awful situation as marine life think they are eating a source of food in the ocean but they are actually eating this rubbish which is causing destruction to their bodies. There are also oil spills from boats and ships in the ocean that can cause destruction to flora and fauna in the ocean. If we could reduce the amount of boats and ships going through the ocean it will help our marine life live a healthier life.
Fishing is also a massive issue in the marine life. There are several boats that go out to sea and come back with hundreds of fish that they have caught. This affects the food chains in the Reef as species are being decreased which is impacting on the amount of babies born every year. It is affecting the food that other species eat eg, sharks eat different types of fish.
Australia is committing to caring for the Great Barrier Reef so that it continues to stay beautiful and be a sort after tourist attraction. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has implemented a range of management initiatives to help keep the Great Barrier Reef healthy and build its resilience so it is better at withstanding the threats to its environment. Today it is recognised as one of the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the world but it still faces danger from tourism. Australia has commenced work on a strategic assessment of The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area to establish a long term plan for sustainable development. The health and resilience of The Great Barrier Reef is protected under the ‘Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999’. A campaign called WWF has been set up to raise awareness of pollution in the Reef. If we raise awareness then people will start to realise the impact the pollution is having on the Reef and hopefully this will be decreased. The ‘Australian and Queensland Governments Reef Water Quality Protection Plan’ has set targets to improve the quality of water entering the Reef which will help the sea flora and fauna live in a healthier environment. The targets include a 50% reduction in chemical pollution and a 20% reduction in mud pollution. Australia is working towards putting these control measures in place to try and help The Great Barrier Reef stay as healthy as it is now.
There are many food webs in The Great Barrier Reef. Tourism can have negative impacts on these food webs so we have to try and protect all flora and fauna to stop this happening. Many aspects caused by tourism including climate change and fishing can affect the breeding cycle which then affects the food webs. There are many food webs in The Great Barrier Reef, below are some examples:
1) Phytoplankton ---- àangel fish (pterophyllum)---- à Dubois sea snake (Aipysurus Duboisii) -----à whitetip reef shark (triaenodon obesus)
2) Zooplankton---- àbutterfly fish (chaetodontidae)---- àspine tailed sea snake (Aipysurus eydouxxi)----- àblack tip reef shark (carcharhinus melanopterus) -----à humpback whale (megaptera novaeangliae)
There are many food webs in The Great Barrier Reef. Tourism can have negative impacts on these food webs so we have to try and protect all flora and fauna to stop this happening. Many aspects caused by tourism including climate change and fishing can affect the breeding cycle which then affects the food webs. There are many food webs in The Great Barrier Reef, below are some examples:
1) Phytoplankton ---- àangel fish (pterophyllum)---- à Dubois sea snake (Aipysurus Duboisii) -----à whitetip reef shark (triaenodon obesus)
2) Zooplankton---- àbutterfly fish (chaetodontidae)---- àspine tailed sea snake (Aipysurus eydouxxi)----- àblack tip reef shark (carcharhinus melanopterus) -----à humpback whale (megaptera novaeangliae)
Indigenous people are the Traditional Owners of The Great Barrier Reef and their sea connections go back over 60,000 years. Today there are over 70 traditional owner groups whose sea country include The Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef works with Indigenous people to acknowledge their continuing social, cultural, economic and spiritual connections. Sea Estates refer to the coastal and marine components of a Traditional Owner group’s country, and extend along the coast and out to sea. Physical features in a land or seascape such as rivers, islands, mountains and reefs often mark their boundaries. Sea estates are the space in which various past and present sea country heritage values exist and where connections to the sea may be expressed. Traditional cultural lifestyles are an important aspect of Indigenous cultural heritage in The Great Barrier Reef. The Indigenous people still seek food for nourishment on a day to day basis and for special occasions or ceremonies. They find natural products including plant material for the production of baskets, necklaces, and other goods that are a part of their culture. They develop and use knowledge systems including Traditional Ecological Knowledge, for day to day interactions with sea country. The Great Barrier Reef was and still is a very important place to the Indigenous people, and it will continue to have the same value.
Overall, tourism is having an impact on this beautiful ecosystem and we all have to work together to stop these negative influences. If we can work towards raising awareness, people will become more informed of how important it is to save the Great Barrier Reef. A small change can have a big impact!