ESS Student Blogs 2016-18

Christopher Hill

Over the last 6’000-8’000 years, the Great Barrier Reef has been peacefully existing outside of Queensland, Australia. Since 1985, it has lost an estimated 35% of its life (Globe and Mail). Coral reef ecosystems are affected by tourism, ocean acidification, overfishing, ocean acidification from carbon emissions, coastal pollution and most importantly, coral bleaching (IB Times). Coral bleaching is the process of corals expelling their algae, mostly due to a rise in the water temperature. This will result in the affected coral turning white, or bleached. A rise in the water temperature is the result of global warming. —Global warming statistics about ocean temperatures—-. Scientists are debating whether or not the Great Barrier Reef has reached – or even passed its tipping point.

Wise Words About The World

Environmental Systems and Societies blog