Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef (in English : Great Barrier Reef ) is the largest in the world system of coral reefs and islands composed of more than 2 900 separate reef and 900 islands located in Coral Sea near the northeast coast of Australia in line with a length of 2300 km and an area of about 344 400 km².
The great barrier reef can be seen with the naked eye from space and is the largest separate earth structure created by living organisms. It is composed and constructed by billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps . The reef maintains great biodiversity and is included in the World Heritage List in 1981. CNN declared it one of the Seven Wonders of the World , and the Queensland National Trust designates it as an emblem of Queensland .
Much of the reef is protected by the Marine Park of the Great Barrier Reef , which limits the impact of human activities such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental threats to the reef and its ecosystem are pouring out of surface waters from land, climate change, accompanied by discoloration of corals , and periodic jumps in the population of starfish thorns . A study of 2012 after 1985 the reef has lost more than half its coral cover, and in 2016 it was found that the discoloration has covered significant areas of northern parts of the reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is known and used for centuries by the natives and is an important part of the culture and spirituality of local communities. Thanks to the great biodiversity , warm waters and easy access for residents on ships coral reef is a very popular tourist destination, especially in the islands Uitsandi and the city of Cairns . Tourism is important to the region's economy, creating more than 3 billion Australian dollars in annual revenue.
Tourism
Opportunity to see the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef attracts people from all over the world. Over reef sail a large number of pleasure boats with special observation windows.
The Great Barrier Reef was declared a marine park, and in 1981 was included in the list of World Heritage of UNESCO . The whole harbor area and the islands are divided into six areas of access. The area with the most stringent control is reserved for scientific research. The most accessible one for general use, as it is permitted trawling, navigation and other forms of moderate exploitation of natural resources such as tourism , sale of corals and others.
However, the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef is so vulnerable that all along it banned all mining operations, extraction of oil and gas and commercial spearfishing, no matter with or without diving .
Tourists can visit some specially selected for this island. The cost of the tours depends on the level of insured facilities. Lizard Islands and Hyman for example, are treated to five-star hotels and a walk to them is not cheap, and the islands Uaytsandeys and North-Mall, a small fee may be stretched tent at predetermined locations. Arriving on an island, visitors must abide by strict rules. Underwater tourists are not allowed to touch the reefs and guards explain to visitors how to enjoy diving without damaging the environment. Since the Great Barrier Reef has only a few inhabited islands, there are difficulties in providing shelter for the growing flow of tourists.
