Great+Barrier+Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is full of rare wildlife and beautiful coral. It is considered a “rainforest of the sea” because it is the second richest ecosystem (Gunyup). Even though there are many other reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest. It is a string of 2,900 reefs, cays, inlets, 900 islands, lagoons and shoals (Holmes). A shoal is an elevated body of water. This reef is the product of over 350 species of coral and red and green algae (Holmes). This algae feeds over 1,400 fish species in the Great Barrier Reef (Gunyup). The reef is about 2,027 kilometers (Gunyup), so I guess those thousands of fish have a little bit of room to swim around. J   Coral only grows in certain conditions. If those conditions alter, the Great Barrier Reef—or any reef in general—could be greatly harmed. Reefs need clear tropical water and a temperature of between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius to grow healthily. Up to 60% of the world’s reefs are in danger due to rising temperatures, and destructive animals (Gunyup). The starfish Acanthaster planci, nicknamed the crown-of-thorns, is destructive to the reef because it eats the live coral. Coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been growing for millions of years. Coral polyps began building the reef in the Minoch Epoch, which began 23.7 million years ago (Holmes). Coral can be between 5,000 and 10,000 years old (Gunyup). Think of how long it will take to replace that coral that is being destroyed right now. Something needs to be done about the deterioration of this old, beautiful reef. •Holmes, Gillian S. “Great Barrier Reef.” //Gale Encyclopedia of Science//. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 2008. //Student Resource Center - Gold.// Web. 19 Apr. 2010. • Guynup, Sharon. "Australia's Great Barrier REEF." //Science World// 4 Sept. 2000: 22. //Student Resource Center - Gold//. Web. 7 Apr. 2010. •Colwell, Paddy. “Taking Care of the Reef.” Dive the Reef. DTR Services, LLC. 2010. Web. 7 Apr. 2010. [].
 * __ The Great Barrier Reef  __**
 * Why should we protect the Great Barrier Reef? **
 * What is destructive to the reef? **
 * History of the Great Barrier Reef **
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