WHAT IS GREAT BARRIER REEF?

 

UNESCO World Heritage Committee has recommended to add Australia's Great Barrier Reef Should be added to a list of "In Danger" World Heritage Sites.

• Placement on the "in danger list" is not considered a sanction.
• Some nations have their sites added to gain international attention and help to save them.

Great barrier reef has great impact of climate change , that is why it was recommended to be added on the list.

The Coral reef ecosystem has suffered from bleaching since 2015 due to heat waves.

Heat Waves: It is a period of abnormally hot weather generally lasting more than two days. They can occur with or with out humidity.

The reef 2050: It is a long term Sustainability plan by Australian and Queensland government to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef by 2050.

Consequences

• Environmental groups says that Australian Government was reluctant to take stronger climate action.
• Since Australia is one of the World's largest carbon emitters , Australia remained reluctant to take stronger climate action and cited jobs as the major reason to back the country's fossil fuel industries.
• It has not Updated Climate goals since 2015.

GREAT BARRIER REEF

• It is the world's most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
• The reef is located in the Coral Sea ( North East Coast), off the coast of Queensland Australia.
• It is the world's biggest single structure made by living organism and can be seen from outer space.
• The reef consists of tiny Organisms , Known as coral polyps.
• Polyps are genetically identical Organisms , With a soft body . 
• Their base is a hard protective limestone Skeleton called a calicle, Which forms the Structure of coral reefs.
• The Polyps have microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae living within their tissues.
• The corals and algae have a mutualistic (Symbiotic) relationship.
• In 1981 it was selected as world heritage site.

INITIATIVES

• International coral reef initiative.
• Global Coral reef Monitoring network
• Global coral reef alliance
• Global coral reef R and D Accelerator Platform.

IN INDIA

• The zoological Survey of India with the help from Gujarat's forest department, is attempting a process to restore Coral reefs using biorock or mineral accretion technology.
• National coastal mission programme, to protect and sustain coral reefs in the country.