From space, so many wonderful features of the Earth are visible. However, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world stands out in the oceans and waters the most. That's the Great Barrier Reef, something built not by mankind but by Mother Nature herself.
The Great Barrier Reef is the only living collective that can be seen from space. This description means that out of all the natural features that an astronaut might see from above the Earth, only the reef itself is alive. A reef is a collective of living organisms, coexisting and working together to sustain themselves.
Reefs in general are built by hard corals growing on the stony skeletons of previous colonies of now dead coral. Their shapes might be tubes, domes, or branches. Australia's infamous reef generally grows about one point three centimeters a year, which isn't very much in human terms but in terms of the Earth, it's quite a bit.
Individual coral colony members are called polyps, and are made up of a clear body that usually harbors algae. That's where most coral gets its colour from. Coral polyps are related to sea anemones and jellyfish. By giving the algae a safe home in shallow water, the algae is able to turn sunlight into sugars that can be used by the coral for energy. The interdependency of these species on the Great Barrier Reef is just one of the things that makes this natural wonder so special.
Other creatures also call the Great Barrier Reef home, such as thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Dwarf minke whales and more rare humpback whales roam the bottomless-seeming edges of the reef, while sea turtles and dugongs stick to the shallower water and feed on the many beds of sea grass. Salt water crocodiles prey on the many exotic fish found in the shallows, and live in the salty marsh habitats of the mangroves along the coast.
As humans take greater interest in the world and how it is put together, the value of natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef become more obvious. Not only is it a hot tourist destination ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling, the reef also contributes to the temperatures of oceans near and far. Many of the species of animals that live in the reef can't be found anywhere else. This beautiful eco-system is being kept safe by the many cities around it that rely on it for tourism and fishing. And there are still many great spots for people to experience the reef up close and personal, making it one of the most popular places to go on vacation.
The Great Barrier Reef is the only living collective that can be seen from space. This description means that out of all the natural features that an astronaut might see from above the Earth, only the reef itself is alive. A reef is a collective of living organisms, coexisting and working together to sustain themselves.
Reefs in general are built by hard corals growing on the stony skeletons of previous colonies of now dead coral. Their shapes might be tubes, domes, or branches. Australia's infamous reef generally grows about one point three centimeters a year, which isn't very much in human terms but in terms of the Earth, it's quite a bit.
Individual coral colony members are called polyps, and are made up of a clear body that usually harbors algae. That's where most coral gets its colour from. Coral polyps are related to sea anemones and jellyfish. By giving the algae a safe home in shallow water, the algae is able to turn sunlight into sugars that can be used by the coral for energy. The interdependency of these species on the Great Barrier Reef is just one of the things that makes this natural wonder so special.
Other creatures also call the Great Barrier Reef home, such as thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Dwarf minke whales and more rare humpback whales roam the bottomless-seeming edges of the reef, while sea turtles and dugongs stick to the shallower water and feed on the many beds of sea grass. Salt water crocodiles prey on the many exotic fish found in the shallows, and live in the salty marsh habitats of the mangroves along the coast.
As humans take greater interest in the world and how it is put together, the value of natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef become more obvious. Not only is it a hot tourist destination ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling, the reef also contributes to the temperatures of oceans near and far. Many of the species of animals that live in the reef can't be found anywhere else. This beautiful eco-system is being kept safe by the many cities around it that rely on it for tourism and fishing. And there are still many great spots for people to experience the reef up close and personal, making it one of the most popular places to go on vacation.
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