The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world. It is situated off the east Australian coast and is approximately 500,000 years old. It is the only living organic collective that is visible from space. The reef is part of the World Heritage and Australian National Heritage list. Moreover, it is the state icon of the state of Queensland. The reef spans from the Torres Strait to the Lady Elliot Island.

The Great Barrier Reef is home of turtles, dolphins, whales, more than 1500 species of fish, 4000 types of mollusk and more than 200 species of birds.

Human Impact

The Great Barrier Reef has long been used by the aboriginal peoples of the Torres Strait islanders. It was later stabled upon by Portuguese, French and British travelers and explorers. It was the cause for the demise of ship among which was the HMS Pandora. Consequently, a system of lighthouses was built to warn sea travelers. During the 19^th century the reef was drilled and mined for guano- excrements of seabirds, bats and seals used as a fertilized and an ingredient for making powder.

In the 20^th century drilling was forbidden in the Great Barrier Reef. Most of it was put in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to ensure its preservation and sustenance. In the end of the 20^th century a law was passed in order to correctly operate natural environment sites and safeguard the Australia’s biodiversity.

Economic Impact

The Great Barrier Reef is a very popular tourism destination for scuba divers and nature enthusiasts. This has turned into a profitable business for many settlements along the coast that provide boat rides and equipment for such tourists.  According to some statistics more than two people visit the coral reefs every year and bring in more than 5 Australian million dollars revenue annually.

The popularity of this kind of experiences has developed a variety of ways to see the reefs. Tours to the reefs are from single day trips to a couple of weeks voyages. Those are offered in a variety of boats, yachts, glass-bottom boats, underwater observatories and helicopter rides. The most important goal of the management of this tourism activities is to make them ecologically sustainable so not to harm the reefs and maintain the current growth rates of the industry.

Environmental Threats

The main dangers to the Great Barrier Reef are fishing, pollution, and climate change. Fishing destroys the ecological balance of the reef by overfishing species such as the giant triton. Other destructive consequences of this process are water pollution, by-catch of unwanted animals and destroying the coral reef itself. Pollution brought in by Australian rivers can significantly disturb the lifecycle of many of the inhabitants of the reef. Climate change threatens the existence of many of the species because of the increase of the temperature of the water. This also causes bleaching of the corals.

If you are considering visiting the Great Barrier Reef and want to hire a car you can turn to the following companies: National, Alamo, Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, and Alpha car hire.