Kali Kaufmann, Lauren Perry, Ryley Bates (thistinyplanet.org) Picture this: 132,974 square miles of vividly colored reefs ranging from violet to orange to pink, home to over 9,000 species. Now picture this: 132,974 square miles of bleached coral, home to only few species. Both are descriptions of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. As well as being a prime attraction for tourism, the Great Barrier Reef offers shelter to over 1,625 species of fish, molluscs, sponges, marine algae, soft coral, sea pens, marine turtles, and 450 species of hard coral. The rich biodiversity found in the Great Barrier Reef aids in the reef maintaining its healthy, stable conditions; however, the habitat once seen as beautiful is becoming more and more bleak due to the vulnerability of the reef to climate change.
With the inconsistent changes in the sea’s temperature and acidification, the Great Barrier Reef’s habitat is becoming critical with every passing day, affecting not only the biodiversity found in the reef, but also the economic sustainability brought on by tourism. Increasing sea temperatures are causing coral to bleach. The degradation of the coral is creating fewer shelters and refuges for the thousands of species that seek the Great Barrier Reef as a source of safety. The increase of acidification in the water is causing the rate of skeleton formation of reefs to significantly slow and this, in turn, is weakening the reef building organisms. Another critical affect climate change has on the Great Barrier Reef is that the storms occurring due to the drastic temperature changes are deteriorating the barrier further. The Great Barrier Reef acts as a wall protecting inshore habitats from large waves and storms, but because of the storms occurring more often, the reef’s recovery rate is slowing and fewer coral are surviving. Because of the reef’s inability to protect itself from the radical climate changes, it is becoming incompetent in providing safety and comfort to the biodiversity relying on the reef. Based solely on tourism, the Great Barrier Reef attracts billions of dollars annually. Tourists want to see the multicolored, pristine coral as well as the thousands of vastly different species located in and around the reef. As time passes without any successful preventatives against climate change, tourists are becoming more and more disappointed. Instead of seeing the colorful coral they are witnessing the coral deteriorate, and instead of laying eyes on the 1,625 different species of fish, or the marine turtles, the tourists are seeing a vacant expanse of dying organisms. Local folk describe the current state of the Great Barrier Reef as “devastating...even the pristine part of the reef is dying” (cnn.com). Even though it may seem as though the impending doom of the reef is inevitable, it is not. Actions can be taken to prevent any more reefs from dying, and in time, taking these preventative measures can help the reefs recover. Planting trees to reduce the runoff damaging the coral reefs, reducing one's own carbon footprint, and using organic fertilizer to stop chemicals from going into the sea are examples of precautionary acts that will halt the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef. If the number of people taking action to save the reef increases, one day the beauty once witnessed in the expanse of the Great Barrier Reef will be restored, and the biodiversity relying on the reef as a home will be saved.
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April Cekosh & Ryley Bates How many times do you check your phone in an hour? How many times do you access the internet in a day? How often do you log onto the internet when you are bored? The internet is constantly growing and has begun to take over our daily lives. We use it for everything, and there isn’t anything you can’t find with the tap of a finger or the click of a button.
The internet has many different uses that we can utilize it for. Most people use it and rely on it for communication with friends and family, entertainment, researching and knowledge, and to shop for various items from home. With all of these things available, we are all able to gain more education than ever before and we find more and more knowledge at the touch of a button. Students are increasingly relying on the internet for many projects and for the research that they need. Less and less students look to a textbook, instead they look to Google for quick and easy information. Not only does the internet allow people to gain knowledge, but it allows people to communicate with people all over the world. Within the internet, we are able to email friends, family and coworkers. We are able to communicate with many organizations that are found worldwide and we are able to keep up with friends and family through many social media platforms. The internet is also great for the use of entertainment. Whether you’re looking to binge watch on Netflix or stalk celebrities on Twitter, you can find just about anything to keep you entertained and busy. As well as keeping you entertained and busy, many people look to online shopping to make their everyday life simplier. You can shop for just about anything, including but not limited to, clothes, food, and home supplies without ever leaving the comfort of your home. The use of the internet has increased significantly since it was assembled in 1983. It has become such a huge part of everyday life that more and more people are beginning to use it all around the world. People are extremely dependent upon the use of the internet and are always trying to improve it so that one day it can meet every possible need one can harbor. Because of how dependent we are upon the internet and because of all of the advancements we make to technology, and the worldwide support the internet receives, it will continue to grow until every person has access to all that it holds within. While internet usage is most commonly found within first world countries, with each passing day, we are looking to make internet access worldwide. It is our goal to bring access to people and countries that don’t have the same resources that first world countries find at their fingertips. As the internet continues to grow and advance through technology, the future looks bright for the countries that don’t have the advantages of the internet. There are many people looking into various ways of providing the much needed access to all of the countries lacking this useful tool, and with a little more time and energy, we can make this goal a reality. |
AuthorAn 11th grader with some globular perspectives. ArchivesCategories |