1. The Great Barrier Reef

2. What is the Great Barrier Reef
World’s largest coral reef system
Over 2900 individual reefs
900 islands
Stretches 2600 km
Composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms called coral polyps

4. Cool Facts One of the 7 natural wonders of the world
Can be seen from outer space
World’s biggest single structure made by living organisms

6. Tourism and the GBR
One of Australia’s most popular tourist destination
Attracts 1.5 million people each year
Activities: swimming, hiking, snorkeling, cruises, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, bird watching and many more!
Reef tourism contributes $1 billion AUS ($837 Million CAD) annually
Scuba diving is the biggest attraction

7. Growth in Tourism
Since the 1980’s tourists have increased from to over 1.1 million visitor-days a year
Why the increase?
Development of high-speed catamarans has reduced mainland-to-reef travel time by 65%
User-friendly technology has made snorkelling, scuba diving, semi-submersible exploring and glass-bottom boat viewing more appealing to a broader range of visitors

9. Ten Suggested ways to see the Great Barrier Reef
As suggested by

10. Snorkel

11. Seawalk

12. Scoba-doo

13. Scuba Dive

14. Livaboard
Stay 3-14 nights on a boat in the deep waters of the outer reef

15. Glass-bottomed boat
$90

16. Submarine Cost- Approx $200 pp for 30 min snorkel
Sub designed by a Canadian!

17. Helicopter

18. Sea Plane

19. Sail

20. Environmental Protection
Reefs and coral cays are protected and conserved by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Created in 1975
Ensures the reef’s long-term survival
Protections from exploitations from tourism, fishing and mining
Designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1981

21. Negative Environmental Impacts of Tourism
Increased activity on the has had negative environmental impacts:
When divers and snorkelers stand on the reefs, the coral can be trampled and killed
Flippers and tank straps scrape and bang coral, making it vulnerable to disease
Boat anchors and chains can split coral
Tourists take coral as souvenirs
Boat fuel and sewage create pollution
Older resorts have inadequate sewage systems- nutrients in waste water increase seaweed growth, blocking the sun that coral needs to grow
Algae can blanket coral and smother it

22. Park Zoning Introduced by the Great Barrier Reef Park Authority
Means of minimizing the negative impact of tourism on the reef’s natural resources
Reserves some areas of the Reef for enjoyment and appreciation by the public and others to be left in their natural state except for scientific research

24. Other Environmental Efforts
To prevent coral from being damaged by boat anchors at popular dive sites, permanent docks have been built
An education program targeting tour boat owners and tourists increases awareness of how reefs are damaged as a result of diving and snorkeling and how the damage can be minimized