Climate change refers to a change of weather and climate patterns. Global warming is the major cause of climate change. Climate change has many negative effects on a region, the environment, or a naturally occurring phenomenon. One of the places most affected by climate change is The Great Barrier Reef of Australia. The barrier reef covers an expansive one thousand and four hundred miles of Australia’s northeast coast. The coral reef system is considered to be the largest system on the globe. Climate change heavily impacts the coral reef system. Some of the impacts that are caused by climate change on the coral reef include high rates of evaporation, rising levels of sea water, decline of sea life, amongst others.
I. Increase in sea temperatures
A rise of sea temperature is one of the impacts caused by climate change on the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Global warming causes a depletion of the ozone layer, consequently causing the sun’s ultra violet rays to enter into the earth’s atmosphere. The rays are harmful since they cause an increase of surface temperatures. Bearing in mind the size of the Australian Barrier reef, it absorbs a lot of heat which leads to its temperatures rising. The increase of the coral’s water temperatures has adverse effects on sea life. It may cause the marine life to migrate to other regions that have lower temperatures. However, according to Johnson, Paul and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (17), large increases of water temperatures may cause the death of sea animals residing on the barrier reef, and even cause unfavorable conditions to plant life. Moreover, a sharp increase of sea temperatures may not sustain life, leading to the barrier reef losing most of its sea life.
II. Rising levels of sea water
Climate change causes the level of sea water in the Australian Great Barrier Reef to rise steadily. The sharp increase of sea water is attributed to melting ice at the glaciers and arctic circles. Again, the meltdown is caused by a rise of global temperatures. As more and more glaciers and expansive regions covered in ice continue to melt, the resulting water finds its way into seas and oceans through streams and rivers. The Australian coast is located in the Coral sea. The Coral sea has many rivers and streams that emanate from regions with large tracts of ice cover. Hence, it is inevitable that the Australian Great Barrier Reef is negatively affected by climate change by registering an ever-increasing level of sea water. A rise of sea-water has numerous effects.
First and foremost, a rise of sea water that surround the Australian Great Barrier Reef may cause a contamination of the region’s drinking water. Johnson, Paul and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (17) points out that the increase of water levels in the coral reef may slowly seep upstream in the rivers and streams that pour into the reef. As a result, due to its salty nature, the sea water may contaminate the freshwater sources, hence affecting all the people and other forms that depend on freshwater for survival. It is impossible for human beings or other forms of life to consume salty water. Thus, the rise of sea water affects all forms of life that depend on the sea water pouring onto the sea.
In addition, rising sea levels may interfere with farming activities. The freshwater sources that pour onto the Coral Sea are heavily used by farmers for farming and irrigation. Sea water is salty and saline, hence unfavorable for farming activities. Salty water leads to crops and agricultural products being stunted and in severe cases, the death of crops. As a result, the rising sea water causes a lot of secondary effects on humans, animal life, and plant life.
Furthermore, the rise of sea level along the Australian Great Barrier Reef causes the plant life to change. Johnson, Paul and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (24) opines that as sea water reach the coastal line of the Coral sea, it slowly changes and alters the soil chemistry. The change of the soil chemistry causes the plant life to change as it tries to adapt into the new environment. Most plants are usually unable to adapt with the increased saline levels in the soil, and they consequently disappear. Other negative effects of rising levels of sea water along the barrier reef are a hurting economy and it threatens the existence of marine life.
III. Changes the chemistry of sea water
Human activities have caused a large amount of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and other harmful gases into the atmosphere. The addition of such impurities results to increased acidity in the sea water found in the Coral Sea, and in the barrier reef. During rainfalls, the gases combine with rain water which causes the water falling in the barrier reef to be acidic. Also, the increased acidity has caused the pH level to decline. Large concentrations of pH are essential for the growth and development of corals. Therefore, climate change impacts the marine life in the sense that increased acidity hampers growth and survival. Increased acidity is detrimental to the existence of marine life, and it also makes it impossible for coral reefs to grow (Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, et al 1739).
IV. Threat to coral reefs
As mentioned earlier, Australian Great Barrier Reef is the largest on the planet and has a huge coral reef system. The coral reef system is home to numerous forms of marine life. Irrespective of their size and importance to the Great Barrier Reef, coral reefs are facing a lot of threats from conditions brought about by climate change. The reason that the coral reefs present in Australian Great Barrier Reef are vulnerable is that they are affected even by the slightest changes in water temperature, changes in the acidity levels, and other factors brought about by climate change.
Increase in the temperatures of sea water greatly affects coral reefs. De’ath, Janice and Katharina (118) points out that slight increases of sea water temperature causes bleaching of coral reefs. The increase might be as small as 1o Celsius. Coral reefs located over two hundred meters under the Coral Sea usually experience bleaching incidents. Coral reef bleaching is a condition that arises from increased sea temperatures, which causes the coral reefs to expel algae that reside in their tissues. The expulsion of large amounts of algae causes the coral reefs to turn white. It is important to note that bleaching of coral reefs does not necessarily mean that the coral reefs are dead. Rather, bleaching of coral reefs makes them to exist in stressful environments. They are subject to high rates of mortality, which could adversely affect the millions of marine lives that depend on coral reefs for survival. The bleaching of coral reefs has many effects.
Firstly, coral reef bleaching will affect all the organisms which depend on them for survival. Bleaching causes coral reefs to be unusable. Coral reefs provide food and habitat to countless forms of marine life. Therefore, the consistent bleaching occurrences that are cause by climate change leads to the death of most marine organisms, and in other cases, causes organisms that use coral reefs for shelter to migrate to new places. Coral reefs bleaching is highly disadvantageous to the Barrier reef itself and to all the organisms that live there (Ainsworthy et al 339).
Furthermore, the threat to coral reefs leads to the degradation of the Australian Great Barrier Reef. The barrier reef has numerous economic advantages to the Australian government and the Australian population in general. For instance, economic advantages of the Australian Great Barrier Reef include scientific studies that are common in the reef, marine activities, surfing from people who hail from all walks of life, amongst others. Hence, without a doubt, the decline of coral reefs in Australian Great Barrier Reef will result to serious economic challenges. The challenges are already being felt. Climate change has been in existence for many years. As such, a large part of the coral reefs that are present in the Great Barrier Reef has already undergone bleaching. This has caused the marine life that reside in the barrier reef to either migrate or to decline in number.
V. Changes in the sea currents
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea. The major sea current in the Coral Sea is the East Australia Current. Climate change has impacted the East Australia Current such that it extends all the way to the Australian Great Barrier Reef. The reef is located in the northeaster part of the Australian coast. As a result, climate change has caused the warm East Australia Current to extend all the way to the barrier reef, bringing about a lot of effects. The East Australia Current is a warm current. Hence, the waters from the current reach the barrier reef as warm waters, hence causing an increase in the temperatures of the Great Barrier Reef sea water. Some of the aforementioned consequences of increased sea water temperatures comprise of bleaching, migration of migration life, and in some instances, death, and many others.
VI. Increase in the frequency of storms occurrence
Climate change has caused the Australian Great Barrier Reef to experience increased frequencies of storm occurrences. The increased temperatures along the great barrier reef causes the Coral sea to have huge storms, some which reach the level of a hurricane. Huge storms have devastating implications on the coastal region bordering the barrier reef. For example, the storms may cause flooding on the areas that are near the Great Barrier Reef. Flooding has a lot of undesirable effects, among them being loss of property or life and innumerable damages. Huge sea storms might also cause the individuals residing in regions close to the barrier reef to migrate to higher grounds.
Mitigation strategies
In light of the identified impacts of climate change on the Australian Great Barrier Reef, it is necessary that the Australian government, and other regions in extension that have coral reefs experiencing climate change implications, to implement appropriate measures so as to prevent the negative consequences caused by climate change. An effective method of combating climate change includes adaptation strategies. Through this strategy, the Australian government can carry out deep researches with the intent of identifying ways through which it can conserve the barrier reef. Conservation of barrier reefs should be based on restoring and also preserving the existing barrier reefs. An example through which barrier reefs can be conserved is through restoring the already depleted coral reefs, identifying reefs and other resources that are stress tolerant, and also demarcating marine areas that are protected from climate change processes.
Additionally, coral reef clean-up exercises are an efficient way that the Australian Great Barrier Reef can be protected from climate change impacts. Some of the impacts of climate change on coral reefs comprise of pollution activities, which can be manually removed through human efforts. Coral reefs clean-ups can protect coral reefs from bleaching activities. Consequently, reduced bleaching impacts can go a long way in protecting all the living organisms that depend on the reefs for survival (Hughes, Jon and Jon 508).
Moreover, inclining more to the blue economy can greatly preserve and protect the Australian Great Barrier Reef. The blue economy is an approach where economic activities are carried out on the barrier reef but without causing harm on the marine life and resources present on the reef. Actually, all economic activities carried out on the coral sea have numerous impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. All economic activities carried out on the Coral sea would ensure that all biodiversity is preserved, in addition to ensuring a reduction of environmental footprints. As such, the Australian Great Barrier Reef will be protected from various aspects of climate change.
Also, engaging all sectors in preservation measures is an efficient strategy of reducing climate change on the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Th government should ensure that all private and public sectors are involved in conservation measures. For example, the Australian government can put in place measures where all sectors observe regulatory measures when it comes to discharging wastes such as gases and other types of wastes released into the Coral sea. Cooperation among all sectors would see a drastic reduction of waste discharge, effectively resulting to a decline of climate change. However, climate change impacts on the Australian Great Barrier Reef are not only caused by activities carried out on Australian soil. Other countries all over the world have a hand in contributing to climate change. Therefore, so as to ensure all the necessary measures are put in place, the Australian government should cooperate with virtually every country on the planet so as to ensure that activities that contribute to climate change are abolished.
Conclusion
The Australian Great Barrier Reef is of utmost importance to Australia and other countries. Climate change, nevertheless, has a lot of negative impacts on the barrier reef. The impacts of climate change include an increase in the levels of sea waters, increased temperatures of sea water which negatively affects all the living organisms that live on the barrier reef, threats to the total elimination of coral reefs through bleaching, a change in the patterns of the Coral sea currents which negatively affect the barrier reef, and an increase with which storm occurrences occur. So as to implement adaptation measures, the Australian government should carry out research of how to adapt to the climate changes as well as cooperate with all sectors in reducing climate change.
Works Cited
Ainsworth, Tracy D., et al. "Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef." Science352.6283 (2016): 338-342.
De'ath, Glenn, Janice M. Lough, and Katharina E. Fabricius. "Declining coral calcification on the Great Barrier Reef." Science 323.5910 (2009): 116-119.
Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, et al. "Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification." science 318.5857 (2007): 1737-1742.
Hughes, Terry P., Jon C. Day, and Jon Brodie. "Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef." Nature Climate Change 5.6 (2015): 508.
Johnson, Johanna E., Paul A. Marshall, and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Climate change and the Great Barrier Reef: a vulnerability assessment. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Greenhouse Office, 2007.
