Is It Time To Mourn The Great Barrier Reef?

Those who love this colorful and expansive jewel of marine life might be monitoring new developments in the assessment of damage absorbed so far by the Great Barrier Reef. Climate change has wrought its visible effects now, even as skeptics question some of the facts. Photos of bleak corals, whose colors are now as dull as barnacles, are arresting. Even more so are the consequences such photos depict: the loss of millions of fish, the decimation of other marine species on which relies also millions of livelihood and tourism revenue.

Image source : The New York Times

Climate change scientists and marine biologists have been spending their time flying low into the area, at great risk to their lives. For it is a matter of life and death: the world’s biggest expanse of living creatures might be dying from rising ocean temperatures. Based on underwater and aerial surveys, two-thirds of the northern Reef’s corals have died. Corals have been bleached as algae react to warmer water temperatures, thereby producing toxin.

Climate change is not the sole culprit. Human activity has lent an insidious hand to the widespread destruction. Some areas of the reef bore the brunt of overfishing, runoff, sewage, and even agriculture.

Moreover, the Great Barrier Reef represents a spreading trend among the world’s other coral reefs. National Geographic reports that 12 percent of the world’s corals have bleached, auguring the most prolonged bleaching event in the Earth’s natural history.

Image source : The New York Times

Scientists have been working together to, in the best scenario, reverse the tides at the Great Barrier Reef. Surely, tourists and locals who have once been captivated by its beauty will be compelled to confront their carbon footprints in the wake of such a disaster.

Perth native Lisa Dudzik loves nature and the outdoors. She is into sports like horseback riding, rugby, mixed martial arts, and football. Having lived in different places as an expat, she lists Maldives, Belize, and the U.K. as her favorite travel destinations. For more updates about the state of the Great Barrier Reef, visit this Twitter page.