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The Great Barrier Reef
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Ten Suggested ways to see the Great Barrier Reef
As suggested by
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Snorkel
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Seawalk
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Scoba-doo
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Scuba Dive
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Livaboard Stay 3-14 nights on a boat in the deep waters of the outer reef
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Glass-bottomed boat $90
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Submarine Cost- Approx $200 pp for 30 min snorkel
Sub designed by a Canadian!
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Helicopter
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Sea Plane
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Sail
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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
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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
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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
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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
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