Rising sea temperatures
Rising sea temperatures are disturbing the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef, and if it continues, it will cause major disturbances in the coastal region. Temperature regulates the distribution and the variety of the marine life species, and it also maintains the growth of the coral reef. Over the years, these have grown and evolved with time. When a certain limit of the temperature is exceeded, it can cause the tiny algae inside to be expelled out which causes the coloration of the corals to change. The corals die because of this as they suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrition (E Johnson and Marshall, 2007). The high temperatures of the sea cause the death of corals all over Australia as well as in other parts of the world. Furthermore, according to the Outlook report 2009 conducted by the government, one of the major drivers of the change in coral reef and overall the Great Barrier Reef has been climate change in which rising sea temperature is one to blame. It has caused changes in the timing of the cyclones as well as their intensity, which has resulted in the altered dynamics of the Great Barrier Reef and the ecosystem (GBR, 2012).
1.2 Extreme Weather
Extreme weather such as torrential rains, cyclones, and flooding which occurs is a driver of change as it has resulted in the decline in inshore seagrass ecosystem surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. The drawback of such weather results in the runoff of nutrients from the soil as well as the decreased growth of vegetation and plantation (GBR, 2013). The coral cover also faces a decrease due to abrasion and being washed off. A vulnerability assessment shows that the Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest marine ecosystems of the world and it is best known for the amount of coral reef and vegetation it harbors. Extreme weather, on the other hand, can change the limitation of its biodiversity (Devlin et al., 2012).
References
Devlin, M. et al., (2012). Extreme weather conditions in the Great Barrier Reef: Drivers of
change? Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/22406/1/ICRS2012_21A_1.pdf
E Johnson, J., & A Marshall, P. (2007). Climate Change and the Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved
GBR. (2012, July 1). Impacts of rising sea temperatures on the reef. Retrieved January 31, 2017,
GBR. (2013). Impacts on the Values. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from
http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/95540/GBRRegion-StrategicAssessment-DraftChapter6.pdf
