Question

Which among the following is/are threats for the Great Barrier Reef in Australia?

A. Surface water temperature rising

B. Crown-of-Thorns Starfishes

C. Oil transportation

D. Tourism

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

1. Only A
2. Only C
3. Only C and D
4. Only A and B
5.

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Only A and B

The correct answer is Only A and B.

Great Barrier Reef:

• As the world’s most extensive coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef is a globally outstanding and significant entity.
• Practically the entire ecosystem was inscribed as World Heritage in 1981, covering an area of 348,000 square kilometres and extending across a contiguous latitudinal range of 14^o (10^oS to 24^oS).
• The Great Barrier Reef (hereafter referred to as GBR) includes extensive cross-shelf diversity, stretching from the low water mark along the mainland coast up to 250 kilometres offshore. 

Threats to the Great Barrier Reef:

• Climate change: Climate change is the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, threatening its very existence. Hence statement A is correct.
• Water quality: Increasing sediment, nutrients and contaminants, combined with rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are damaging the Reef. 
• Crown of Thorns Starfish: When the coral-eating starfish appear in outbreak proportions, the impact on coral reefs can be disastrous. Hence statement B is correct.
• Coastal development: As Queensland continues to grow, so does development along the coast and islands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Region.
• In recent years, a series of major storms and floods have affected an ecosystem already under pressure. 
• Coral bleaching, and a severe tropical cyclone that occurred in 2017, impacted 80 per cent of the Reef over the last two years.