Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef: Introduction - 1 views
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Coral reefs are the homes of some of the most diverse ecosystems and biologically productive habitats
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The balanced ecology of the Great Barrier Reef is one that is vulnerable to even slightest human influence.
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In these times, human activity has intensified to a level where our actions have extended to the coral reefs on a global scale.
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The ripple of human activity has not only affected the corals, but also the surrounding biodiversity that coexist within these systems.
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Over-fishing, pollution and global warming are main factors that are tipping the equilibrium of the ecosystems within the coral reefs.
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So far a fifth of the reefs have been destroyed and are not recovering, a quarter of the reefs are endangered and another quarter face long-term collapse (Spotts).
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Global warming that has been induced by human activity has affected the reefs by creating warmer temperatures in the waters that will have adverse effects on these highly productive ecosystems.
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Aggressive fishing has caused major disruptions to the food web and in turn will have a negative domino effect.
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Overexploitation of marine life disrupts the entire stability of oceanic life because it depletes keystone plant and animal life.
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Pollution is another major threat to the health and stability of the Great Barrier Reef’s ecosystem.
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Development and farming off of Australia’s coast is harming the coral reef habitat with dangerous runoff and sedimentation that may eventually destruct the fragile coral reefs.