Englisch · 2018 · A Text Based Task

The Great Barrier Reef in danger

Situated along the Queensland coastline, the Great Barrier Reef
(GBR) provides a home for countless creatures, including jellyfish,
sharks and sea snakes. More than 30 different kinds of whales and
dolphins live there, alongside some of the most stunning fish
imaginable. The reef is
famous for its high number of coral species and for its vivid, striking colours.
For many years it has been Australia's leading tourist attraction,
bringing in profits of up to 6 billion Australian dollars and
supporting roughly 64,000 jobs.

However, this could all soon come to an end, as the GBR appears to
be dying. Based on the most recent scientific findings, a process
called coral bleaching is damaging the reef more quickly than
anyone had predicted, and it could lead to a complete collapse by 2030.

Experts agree that coral bleaching is a natural response to environmental stress. Corals
rely on a close relationship with algae, which are vital to their survival because they
supply them with food through photosynthesis. The algae are also what give corals their
brilliant colours. As a result of global warming, sea temperatures have been climbing
for the past 30 years, subjecting corals to thermal stress. When conditions become too
hot, corals and algae separate, and the algae take the colour with them, leaving behind
white coral skeletons, which is where the bleaching phenomenon gets its name. If corals
go without algae for too long, bleaching can ultimately kill them. A satellite image of
Australia's east coast clearly shows that large stretches of the GBR have already turned completely white.

"This will change the GBR forever," said Terry Hughes, an Australian coral expert. The
bleaching event has been his worst nightmare, and his research trip to the GBR was the
saddest journey of his life. Hughes is angry with the Australian government, believing
they should have taken action sooner to prevent the situation from reaching this point.

Besides the greatest danger, global warming, the species living on the GBR face
additional threats. One of these is pollution caused by intensive agriculture, through
which fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides enter local rivers. Making matters worse,
chemicals from mining operations also flow into the ocean and harm marine life.

In 2015, Australian minister Greg Hunt approved the expansion of a coal port next
to the GBR, which would then become the largest of its kind in the world. Building
it will require dumping 1 million cubic metres of soil and rock into the GBR's
waters. This could destroy seagrass beds, reducing the main food supply for some
marine animals.

The GBR's ecosystem could still have a chance if these additional threats were
stopped or at least reduced. Areas where such threats have been banned or restricted
have managed to recover from damage. It is therefore up to the Australian government
to take action. However, since global warming is unlikely to be halted any time soon, it may already be too late for the corals.

So Australia's main tourist attraction is under threat. A survey conducted recently
found that tourists would choose to spend their holidays somewhere other than
Australia if the bleaching continued.

Adapted from: "Read on" (08/2016), Eilers & Schünemann Verlag KG, Bremen;
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/21/great-barrier-reef-tourists-will-go-elswhere-if-
bleaching-continues-poll (08.02.2017); https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/facts-about-the-great-barrier-
reef (11.05.2017); https://theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/10/australias-politicians-have-betrayed-
the-great-barrier-reef-and-only-the-people-can-save-it (11.05.2017); https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/
kits/corals/coral02_zooxanthellae.html (20.09.2017)