1. Great Barrier Reef
By Katia Brancatella

2. Introduction
The breath taking Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world spanning a total distance of over 2600 km from the Torres Strait in the north of Queensland to the Fraser Island area in the south.
The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage area and listed as one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World” getting many tourist swimming in the sensational water.

3. Climate and Weather
The temperature in the Great Barrier Reef varies in the northern and southern areas. This means that the temperature and climate in the reef is sub-tropical in the south, getting more tropical as you head north. The tropical and sub-tropical regions don’t experience the four season because there are only two the wet season and the dry season. The wet season occurs in November to March and the dry season occurs in April to October.
Atmospheric temperatures, lack of cloud cover and freshwater run-off all contribute causing the surface temperatures to rise.
The bleaching of the coral is one of the ways in which the temperature in the Great Barrier Reef is increasing. The temperature rise of 2-3 degrees is believed to put 97% of the reef in the danger zone of bleaching each year.

4. Butterfly Fish
There are about 114 species of Butterfly fish. The Butterfly fish has a very thin body which helps them navigate through smaller passengers so they can dine on their usual diet which is coral polyps and algae growing on the reef.
The Butterfly fish has an amazing array of colours and patterns though they have a dark band across and around their eyes like dots on their flanks to confuse predators as to which end of the fish to strike at and in which direction they are likely to flee. Also their brilliant colours and markings fade to help them blend in with the reef background.
The nose of the Butterfly fish helps them to reach the food from the crevice of rocks to eat. To prevent danger the Butterfly fish tucks itself into the crevices in the coral to escape danger and to prevent itself from being eaten. When a Butterfly fish is developing they develop armoured plates on their bodies to protect them. Some Butterfly fish travel in small groups called schools. Many Butterfly fish are solitary until they find a partner with whom they live with for mainly the rest of their life’s.

5. Seagrass
Australia has 30 species of Seagrass and 15 are found in the Great Barrier Reef. Seagrass is the main diet of dugong and green turtles and provide a habitat to many smaller marine animals. Seagrass also helps by keeping the water clean.
Seagrass has separate roots, leaves and underground stems called rhizomes which forms below the surface. Seagrass is mostly seen in November after many months of clear skies, increasing day length and increasing temperatures. Seagrass grows from the intertidal zone to depths depending on water clarity.

6. Natural Disasters Natural Disasters
There are many natural disasters in the Great Barrier Reef and one of them has to do with algae. Coral is given their vibrant colours as a result of the algae. The warmer water kills of the algae which then leads to the coral losing its coloration. This means the coral gets bleached. The death of the algae turn into a result of the death of the creatures.
Another natural disaster is the Crown of Thorns Starfish. The Crown of Thorns Starfish gains its sustenance from feasting on the polyps of coral, releasing neurotoxins to absorb the tissue of the coral and quite literally “sucking the life” out of the reef’s backbone.

7. Bibliography

8. Thanks For Watching!