A Dream for a Better World

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest coral reef organism in the world. It is commonly considered that those reefs and islands are consisted of rocks. Actually, it comes into being because of a large amount of corals tracing to ancient times. Corals can bring much convenience to human beings. People can live on corals which can be used for building houses and they also play an important role in exploiting oil underground. However, corals have died of “black illness” and “albinism” in a large number since the end of the 20th century due to human unreasonable activities and warming globe.
The Great Barrier Reef, located along Queensland coast in Australia is the largest coral reef organism in the world. It extends about 1430 miles along the east coast in Australia. The acreage of National Marine Park around the Great Barrier Reef is up to 128960 square miles with the similar size as that of Japan. Great Barrier Reef not only provides habitat for millions of fishes, whales, sea birds, sea turtles etc but also for dolphin.
In recent years, the Great Barrier Reef has suffered from damaging. More than 12% corals on the land are protected in the world but less than 1% corals in the sea are under protection. In1970s, when the Great Barrier Reef Park was set up, people thought that fishes and other marine creatures were inexhaustible and they could decompose waste from mainland. But the fact showed the opposite side. At the end of the 20th century, the Great Barrier Reef crisis appeared and fishes, corals were on the edge of extinction. Waters near to the sea was also terribly contaminated. Corals are seriously suffered from overfishing, pollutants, pesticide, warming globe etc. More than 11% corals in the world have been destroyed and 20% are destroyed terribly and scientists have estimated that 32% more corals will disappear in the next 30 years.
“Black illness” and “albinism” are the two main causes for corals death. In many regions of the world, daily pollutants are discharged into the sea without any purification steps and scientists have found that some microbial from human body would bring illness to corals. Such microbial would cause dysentery only when they exist in children’s body with a large number. But when they mix with other microbes, they would do great harm to corals. Scientists also have found that “black illness” is caused by the reaction among various bacteria. As for “albinism”, it is also cause by bacterium from people’s body though it cannot damage people’s health and life. Since 1990s, more and more coral illnesses have been found because of increasing pollutants and warming globe.
Some researchers have said that if Australian government cannot take pressures to protect the Great Barrier Reef, it would be extinct in future. At present, the government tries to seek for solutions to coral protection and it forbids economic development on 1/3 area of the National Marine Park and such provision would help the Great Barrier Reef become the largest marine protected area.

Scientists have discovered a 650 million year old, 1 km wide reef, sitting in Australia’s outback. Fossils of ancient sponges or other early primitive animals may be awaiting discovery there.  Scientists say that the reef is of “internationally significant” because it dates from a 5-10 million year period between two major ice ages.  They continue that it provides a significant step forward in showing the extent of climate change in Earth’s past and the evolution of ancient reef complexes.  It also contains fossils which may be of the earliest known primitive animals.  There is a good chance that the new fossils and organisms found in the reef will provide significant insight into the evolution of early multi-cellular life.