It is constantly changing before our eyes and is an ever-growing system. The Great Barrier Reef is currently home to 1,500 species of fish, six species of sea turtles, 30 species of whales and dolphins and 411 species of hard coral. A coral reef can be likened to a towering forest that began from a single seedling - once just a small single plant, it can become a diverse and vast ecosystem. Other marine plants and fish will begin to move into the same area, using the corals for food, protection or mating grounds, creating an ever-fluxing ecosystem. Hard and soft corals are formed in similar ways and will eventually form on older, dead corals, always expanding and growing, changing the shape of the reef. Other types of corals will settle in the same area, expanding and fighting for space and resources, until you eventually have a fully developed coral reef. The healthy coral will continue to grow at a rate of about 5mm - 20cm per year, depending on the species, and grow best in temperatures between 21C and 29C. The polyps develop a relationship with algae, which is its source of food and its colour, which gives the coral its look. The polyp lives on the outside of this bony structure, where more of the same species will join it, becoming one organism. Here is where we see the humble beginnings of a reef.Īfter they settle, polyps will begin to secrete a calcium carbonate, which hardens to form the bony white structure, or skeleton, that forms the shape of the coral itself. A drifting coral polyp, expelled into the open sea by its parents, will come to rest on a stationary object, such as a rock or shell, where it will permanently attach itself to live its life. The Whitsunday Islands, for example, are the remains of mountain tops that once towered over the region which are now surrounded by fringing reefs.Īll reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, begin to form with a single organism. Once sea levels began to rise, the growth of coral began to creep up the mountains, which were eventually completely submerged, leaving behind small islands, barrier reefs and atolls that we know and see today. Corals began to form around the base of these mountains, which at the time were continental islands. The Great Barrier Reef that we know today actually sits on what is the remains of the sediments of the Great Dividing Range, a huge mountain system. The current reef is about 6,000 to 8,000 years old and was formed after the last ice age began to recede and water levels and temperatures rapidly changed. It has moved and morphed over the years and was first encountered by humans 40,000 years ago when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples settled in the area. It is said that the reef dates back as much as twenty million years ago, with an ever-changing landscape and coastline. It is a network that spans across 2,600km and is made up of corals, seagrass, islands, and cays that is make up the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It has been around for many millennia and is continually growing and changing. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living ecosystem in the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |