Saving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

1 After years of conservation eff orts, scientists continue to monitor Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In
1981, the area was named a World Heritage Site so that eff orts could be made to help protect it. The
structure is the world’s largest reef system, and it is the largest living structure on Earth. The reef can
also be seen from space – its 600 tropical islands and 3,000 individual reef systems take up more than
344,000 square kilometres in the shallow waters just off the coast of Queensland.

2 A coral reef ecosystem is made of individual coral polyps that bind together in groups, which grow as
more attach. The polyps grow into reefs in warm, shallow, ocean water and grow slowly – usually less
than an inch per year. Coral reefs cover only about two percent of the ocean, but about a quarter of all
species in the ocean depend on the reefs for food, shelter or both.

3 So why does it need protection? A number of human threats have had a devastating impact on the
ecosystem. According to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the reef’s coral cover declined by 50 percent
between 1985 and 2012. One factor contributing to this is development of the coastline, including ports
for fishing boats. Overfishing and pollution are other factors that harm the reef. Yet another is climate
change, since warming waters cause coral bleaching. Taken together, each of these threats affect the fish
and other marine life that rely on the reef to survive.

4 Conservation eff orts have shown some success, but more work is needed. The reduction of fishing,
construction and pollution has been an important part of the eff orts. Much of this work has involved
requesting legislation to protect the fragile ecosystem. Environmental policy is crucial for really helping
the Great Barrier Reef survive – and helping countless marine species survive as well.

5 The Great Barrier Reef is just one example of many conservation eff orts that people have taken part in
around the world. When problems in our environment are handled by a concerned community of
citizens, they are thinking about the future of the planet. The policies used to help the Great Barrier Reef
can also be used to help other marine ecosystems, and the solutions can be applied to different
ecosystems around the world.

 Read the article and match the main ideas below with the paragraphs. There are TWO EXTRA
ideas that you do not need to use.

a Human activity damages the reef. ___________

b Efforts made with the Great Barrier Reef can be made with other ecosystems. ___________

c Coral reefs grow in warm, shallow water. ___________

d Coral reefs are an important ecosystem. ___________

e Conservation efforts are being made to help the Great Barrier Reef. ___________

f Efforts made with the Great Barrier Reef can be made with other ecosystems. ___________
g Some conservation efforts have been successful.