The Great Barrier Reef
where is it?
The Great Barrier Reef is located on the coast of Queensland near bunderburg, the area of the pacific closest to Australia's north eastern coast. It ends at Torres straight just before Papau New Guinea, just south of Capricorn and off the coast of Gladstone. 24°30'N 0°41'S, 145°00' to 154°00'E.
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what does it look like?
The Great Barrier Reef is a spectacular site that you must see it is the largest reef system and is actually a series of 2900 smaller reefs. Filled with vibrant colours, coral sand and rock. The top of the reef is 2-3 feet below sea level where there is warm, shallow, clean water. There are hundreds of animals such as: sea cucumbers, giant shells, sponges, jellyfish, sea anemones, sea stars, dolphins, turtles and many more. The reef is 2000 kilometres long and Covers an area of 344 400 sq km and can be seen from space.
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how was it made?
The reefs of coral formed in the region48-58 million years ago which was also when the coral sea basin was formed. When the australian continent moved and the sea levels changed the reefs grew very quickly. A change in climate made the reefs grow in decline in cycles because of the need to maintain certain sea temperature and sunlight.
The geographical process that formed the Great Barrier Reef is believed to have started 600000 years ago but due to a change in climate and sea levels died and 20000 years started growing off the old reef as it was around the time of the last glacial maximum ended and as the sea level rose started growing on the coastal plain. The sea level was almost where it was today about 13000 years ago when it started to grow on the coast of Australia's islands. The islands became submerged and the coral reefs started growing over them forming a reef system. Today the reef is about 6000-8000 years old.
bibliography
Alison, the wonders of the world, library.thinkquest.org/j002388/gbreef.html, date accessed: 25/2/13
Briney, A, 2013, the great barrier reef, geography.about.com/od/australiamaps/a/great-barrier-reef.htm, date accessed:25/2/13
UNESCO, 2013, the great barrier reef, whc.unesco.org/en/list/154, date accessed: 25/2/13
wwf, great barrier reef, http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/oceans_and_marine/priority_ocean_places/great_barrier_reef/
date accessed: 25/2/13
