Australia digs deep to save Barrier Reef
AUSTRALIA: A multimilliondollar rescue plan has been revealed for the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living structure, which is being steadily destroyed by warming waters, coral-eating starfish and pollution.
The A$60 million (NZ$65.6m) package was announced by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the North Queensland city of Townsville yesterday, and includes funds to reduce pollution from farming chemicals that seep into the reef’s waters.
The pollutants and sediments cloud the water and block sunlight from reaching the algae that give the reef coral its vibrant colours. The algae depend on the Sun to survive.
The rescue package, to be implemented over 18 months, will also provide more reef patrol officers and at least double the number of vessels targeting crown-of-thorns starfish.
Numbers of the coral-eating starfish have rapidly increased, and they are devouring the reef faster than it can regrow.
The reef covers an area of 344,400 square kilometres off the coast of Queensland, equivalent to the size of Germany. It is the largest living structure on Earth and is vital to Australia’s tourism industry, providing 64,000 jobs and contributing $A6.4 billion every year to the national economy.
Unprecedented bleaching events have struck the central and northern regions of the Great Barrier Reef over the past two years, and there are signs of more bleaching at the southern end of it this summer.
Part of the bleaching is believed to be the result of climate change, as higher water temperatures kill the algae that live within the coral.
Without algae, coral becomes transparent, revealing a bleached skeleton. Once this happens, the corals can die unless temperatures return to normal levels. The stress of the bleaching also stunts regrowth.
The funds announced also include millions of dollars for research into how to restore damaged coral.