How much longer can we afford to ignore the reef

English: A variety of corals form an outcrop on Flynn Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland, Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recent climate change reports have highlighted the threat of higher water temperatures to the Great Barrier Reef (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 We did not make it to the outer reef but we still managed to have some wonderful snorkeling adventures.

View between Port Douglas and Cairns.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/unesco-report-scathing-of-great-barrier-reef-management-20120602-1zo0m.html



http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154

The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It the world's most extensive stretch of coral reef and is probably the richest area in terms of faunal diversity in the world. Its great diversity reflects the maturity of an ecosystem which has evolved over millions of years on the north-east continental shelf of Australia. The site contains a huge diversity of species including over 1,500 species of fish, about 360 species of hard coral, 5,000 species of mollusc, and more than 175 species of bird, plus a great diversity of sponges, anemones, marine worms and crustaceans, among others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Environmental_threats_to_the_Great_Barrier_Reef&oldid=492041443

http://www.zemanta.com/

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