Australia considers cooling down Geat Barrier Reef

Australian marine scientists have proposed to protect the corals from being damaged as a result of climate change.Speaking at the recent Ecotourism Australia Conference, Andrew Skeat, executive director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said the proposal involves watering the ocean surface at peak heat times to avoid coral bleaching, which is caused by higher than average water temperatures linked with global climate change, and when organisms which make up corals die leaving behind white limestone skeleton. A fine spray of seawater will be pumped onto the reef to break up the ocean water, cooling the corals. It also considered permanently placing sunshades over some areas of the reef. The UNESCO World Heritage listed reef, stretching over more than 345,000 sq kilometers (133,000 sq miles) off the coast of Queensland, is the world’s largest coral system.For Details look here.

Leave a Comment