Theme Week Queensland – The Great Barrier Reef

Saturday, 26 October 2013 - 01:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage
Reading Time:  3 minutes

Coral Outcrop © Toby Hudson/cc-by-sa-3.0

Coral Outcrop © Toby Hudson/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The National Trust of Queensland named it a state icon of Queensland. In 1768 Louis de Bougainville found the reef during an exploratory mission, but did not claim the area for the French. On 11 June 1770, the HM Bark Endeavour, captained by explorer James Cook, ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, sustaining considerable damage. Lightening the ship and re-floating it during an incoming tide eventually saved it.

Clownfish © Jan Derk Barrier Reef Anemonefish © flickr.com - Richard Ling/cc-by-sa-2.0 Epaulette Shark © flickr.com - Richard Ling/cc-by-sa-2.0 Reef Stonefish © flickr.com - Richard Ling/cc-by-sa-2.0 Footballer Cod © flickr.com - Richard Ling/cc-by-sa-2.0 Coral Outcrop © Toby Hudson/cc-by-sa-3.0
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Barrier Reef Anemonefish © flickr.com - Richard Ling/cc-by-sa-2.0
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups’ cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over $3 billion per year.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, GreatBarrierReef.org, Great-Barrier-Reef.com and Wikipedia Great Barrier Reef (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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