The Importance Of The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is such a large space that it is the only living thing the unaided eye can see from outer space. It is the world’s largest living structure and is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is a place that helps to provide the world with food, shelter, and support. This world wonder is headed towards extinction and so is humanity.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to billions of colorful corals, sponges, fish, and “supports a quarter of all marine species” (Becatoros, “Scientist are Racing…”). One example is sea turtles, who use the reefs shore as grounds for reproduction. Without a healthy reef, there is a high chance that sea turtles will go extinct. Similarly, the reef provides a space for

People cannot afford to lose what places like The Great Barrier Reef have to offer. There is no time to pretend this issue is not happening. “The world has lost roughly half its coral reefs in the last 30 years. Scientists are now scrambling to ensure that at least a fraction of these unique ecosystems survives beyond the next three decades” (Becatoros, “Scientist are Racing…”). There is nowhere near as much time as people think there is to save the reef from death. If the Great Barrier Reef dies, then one in every four-marine species loses their habitat, coastlines will feel the full force of storms, and the cure for cancer could be wiped out. On top of that, Australia’s economy will suffer severely, which then affects other countries’ economies. Not only does the reef need to be protected so does the rest of nature. If this destruction can happen to the world largest and most well-known reef than it can easily happen to any of the others. Continuing this destruction means the oceans' corals will eventually collapse and disrupt the entire food chain. Myself and others may not feel the effects of this tragedy, so it is easy to ignore, but that does not mean we won’t be seriously affected. Condoning the negative treatment of even one little coral in the Great Barrier Reef can create a chain reaction that will eventually have a catastrophic effect on the whole world. The corals will

It serves as an immense asset to humanity that needs to be treated as a world wonder, not just named as one. Every individual can choose to either undermine the value of nature and head towards extinction or work to restore balance and harmony in our wonderful