Great Barrier Reef animals
A coral reef consists of coral polyps, which are animals in the
jellyfish family, along with algae called zooxanthellae. In return
for a cozy, safe place to live, the algae provide the building blocks
polyps need to survive and make limestone to build the reef
structures. The vast structures that result do more than awe
snorkelers.
The Great Barrier Reef supports a vast array of life forms. Thirty species of whales,
dolphins and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the
dwarf minke whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and the humpback whale.
This dugong is one of four seacow, or Sirenians, species in the world. They all live in
different coastal areas of the ocean.
Large populations of dugongs, large marine mammals that are relatives of the manatees,
make their home along the reef.
More than 1,500 fish species
live on the reef, including the
clownfish, red bass, redthroat emperor, and several
species of snapper and coral
trout. About 5,000 species of
mollusks live on the reef.
Seventeen species of sea
snake live on the Great
Barrier Reef in warm waters
up to 160 feet (49 meters)
deep and are more common
in the south than in the
northern section.
Six species of sea turtles —
the green sea turtle,
leatherback sea turtle,
hawksbill turtle, loggerhead
sea turtle, flatback turtle, and
the olive ridley — come to the
reef to breed.
Saltwater crocodiles live in
mangrove and salt marshes
on the coast near the reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is
home to 215 species of birds
(including 22 species of
seabirds and 32 species of
shorebirds) that visit the reef
or nest or roost on the islands.
The white-bellied sea eagle
and roseate tern are
frequently sighted.
The 15 species of seagrass found along the reef attract the
dugongs and turtles and provide habitats for the fish. The
most common types of seagrasses are Halophila and
Halodule.
The reefs are vital to the survival of several endangered
species, so much so that in 2004, the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) increased the amount of
highly protected zones by almost 30 percent.
Environmental concerns
A tourism hotspot, approximately 2 million people visit the Great
Barrier Reef every year, according to the Australian government.
There is widespread concern that such intense tourism might be
harming the fragile reefs.
Pollution is another concern, as another oil spill occurred in 2010, when
the Chinese coal-carrying ship Shen Neng1 ran aground on the reef, leaking
a 3 km ribbon of oil and destroying precious coral and marine life.
Declining water quality is a
major factor in the pollution
of the Great Barrier Reef.
During tropical floods, runoff
containing fertilizer and
pesticides is dispensed into
the reef's waters and harms
its delicately balanced
ecosystem. The runoff
problem is made worse by the
loss of coastal wetlands along
the Queensland coast, which
act as a natural filter for
toxins. The area of wetlands
in the Great Barrier Reef
catchment has decreased by
over 50 percent, according to
the Great Barrier Reef Coastal
Wetlands Protection Program.
Protected Animals
The list of protected species for the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park includes:
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Some shells - helmet shells, triton shells, tridacnid clams
Some fish - seahorses, pipefish, sea dragons, potato cod, Queensland
grouper, barramundi cod, Maori wrasse, all groupers (Epinephelus)
more than 100 cm
Some sharks - whale shark, grey nurse shark, great white shark,
freshwater and green sawfish
Sea snakes
Crocodiles
Marine turtles
Birds
Seals
Whales and dolphins
Dugong.