Great Barrier Reef Essay

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The Great Barrier Reef Group Article

By Miles C., Sofia H., Alexandra M., Kel M., and Kevin Y.

Located off the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef. It started growing approximately 20,000 years ago and now extends over an area covering 345,000 square kilometers. It was first discovered by James Cook in 1770 when he struck the Endeavour Reef, which led to the scientific community learning of the existence and extent of the reef (Doubilet). The Great Barrier Reef averages forty feet below the surface of the Coral Sea, and is made up of close to three thousand smaller reefs (De’ath, Fabricius, Sweatman, and Puotinen). Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. In fact, approximately a quarter of marine life depends on coral reefs for both shelter and food (“Corals and Coral Reefs”). Surprisingly, coral reefs only make up seven percent of the Great Barrier Reef (Australian Government).

The Great Barrier Reef has a tropical climate that is affected, during the summer, by an equatorial low pressure zone and by a sub-tr...

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