Wikipedia:Translation/Great Barrier Reef

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geography [Work on]

situation [Work on] The Great Barrier Reef is northeast from Australia at the east coast of the Federal State Queensland in the south Pacific and extends from the torr eating race before Papua New Guinea up to the lady Elliot island, which lies about 75 kilometers northeast from Bundaberg. It increased in the meantime to a length of well 2,300 kilometers and reached thereby an expansion of 10. up to 24. the southern degree of latitude. Due to the dimension the reef is divided for better distinction into several sections (from north to south): Far Northern section Cairns section (also Tropical Northern) Cent ral section (also Whitsunday section) Southern section (also Mackay Capricorn Reefs). The reef runs at the eastern edge of the Australian continental base. It lies between 30 kilometers (with Cairns) and from the nearly parallel running Australian east coast removes for approx. 250 kilometers (with Gladstone). It consists scarcely 1,000 islands, like for example the Whitsunday Iceland or Dunk Iceland, of a chain of over 2.900 single reefs, and innumerable sand banks. The surface of the Great Barrier Reef amounts to about 347,800 km ². It can be seen with the naked eye from the universe. climate zone [Work on] The reef lies completely in the Tropics in the Taifun area. The Taifun season lasts from October to March. It is particularly heavy-rainfall in the area in the autumn and in February/March. The monthly amount of precipitation reaches then from 175 mm in Rockhampton in the south of the reef over 350 mm in Mackay and Townsville up to 525 mm in Cairns and on the cape York peninsula. Drying is it in this area between March and October. geology [Work on]

Satellite photo, the north is in the picture right The origin of the Great Barrier Reefs is past several millions years. It is not altogether regards a closed reef system, but sits down together from a multiplicity of different types of single reefs with different developing history. The northern - from the torr eating race to approximately Cooktown handing - section of the Great Barrier Reef originated in before approx. 18 to 20 million years, when the north point of Australia in the course of the Kontinentalverschiebungen put itself forward into tropical degrees of latitude. Only the conditions prevailing there and the higher water temperature made possible a settling of reef-forming Steinkorallen polyps on that close the coast which were appropriate continental bases. The reef formation by the lime-separating Steinkorallen was however no continuous process. As consequence of the ice ages and associated dropping of the sea level the settled areas drained several times and the living Korallenpolypen died. Back in each case collections remained by coastal limestones, which had resulted in the course of the time from sedimentation. While just as regularly returning floodings - causes by the ice melts following on each ice age - the Korallen on the remaining sedimentary rock settled again and again again and created further lime mountains, which served the follow-up generation in each case as foundation. From these processes a relatively connected thing of corral reefs, that essentially resulted from reefs of the type barrier reef in the run the time in the northern part of the reef (engl: ribbon more reef/barrier reef) exists. By the continual bottom of the sea sinking and/or the sea level rise this reef barrier also today still grows on the continental base seewärts. To the coastal side the reef is separate durchzogene lagoon by a broad and between 50 and 100 meters deep, with smaller reefs and Korallenbänken from the mainland. On from mainland turned away side - which Outer Reef - the barrier reef, and/or the Kontinentalabhang, because of which the reef is, drops partly into 2,000 meters of depth to the bottom of the sea steeply.

Admission of the bottom of the sea in the Great Barrier Reef from a helicopter The middle and southern parts of the reef originated in only approx. two million years ago. The individual barrier reefs are there in substantially less compact formations arranged. In this section of the reef increase seam reefs have themselves (engl: fringing reef) in an educated manner, which are very similar to the barrier reefs and spread likewise predominantly seewärts. They grow however not at the edge of the continental base, but in direct proximity to the coast and have to the mainland usually only a few meters deep lagoon, which resulted from erosion. Large areas of the reef belonged in former times to the mainland and by the rising sea water level were likewise flooded. So also most islands belonging to the reef are the points of sunk mountains. They come from coastal mountains, which were separated during the last ice age from the mainland. They consist contrary to genuine Koralleninseln of firm rock and are usually surrounded by a narrow seam reef, which grows directly on their banks. On the even hills of the sunk areas - which are likewise added now to the continental base - to have itself platform reefs (engl: platform reef) different size in an educated manner. They developed on those surfaces, where the bottom of the sea near-handed so far to the sea level that the beam of light was strong enough, in order to make a settlement possible from Korallen to. Some platform reefs reach in the meantime a diameter of up to 15 kilometers.

Korallenstock with sea-star The today visible parts of the colourful corral reefs originate from the last cold time, which is past about 10,000 years. From this time on the different Korallenarten could settle the remaining limestones and become the singularly various habitat of innumerable animal species and plants. Also in the future the reef will change both its appearance and its expansion, since it concerns a living organism, which is subject to a constant change due to different influences. [Work on] ecology

Antenna fire fish from the family of the scorpio fish - one the reef inhabitant Flora and fauna [Work on] The Great Barrier Reef forms the largest structure on earth, created by organisms, with its 359 hard Korallenarten. It offers habitat for a multiplicity of further kinds, among other things there 80 kinds of Weichkorallen and sea-feathers/springs (see Nesseltiere) are, 1,500 fish types, 1,500 kinds of sponge, 5,000 kinds of soft animals, 800 kinds of Stachelhäutern as for example sea-stars, 500 different kinds of sea-seaweed and 215 kinds of bird domestic. One finds in the Great Barrier Reef six of altogether sieved sea turtle kinds occurring world-wide. Among them are also the false Karettschildkröten threatened by becoming extinct and the Pacific soup turtles, which use the reef to the oviposition. Likewise threatened by becoming extinct is the there living Dungongs (sea-cows). Furthermore - apart from further kinds of whale occurring there - the close of Antarctic uses of the living embossment whales warm waters for bearing their boys. The jagged and branched out Korallenstöcke offer snails and rare shells, like for example the Arthritica or to the comb of the Venus, ideal conditions.

The Kupferstreifen Pinzettfisch from the family Falterfi is to be found in shallow lagoons with close Korallenbewuchs. ecological system [Work on] Corral reefs are very sensitive ecological systems. Each change can cause unforeseeable damage. Korallen can prosper and survive only in a waters with very reduced temperature range, approximately between 18 and 30°C. An increase of the water temperature leads to repelling and following dying of the Zooxanthellen, the vitally necessary alga vegetation of the Korallen. Since these algae apart from the symbiontischen supply of nutrients also for the colour of the Koralle is responsible, verb easy the Korallenstock and the white lime stand (see also Exoskelett) become visible. If this condition continues over longer time, because the algae cannot regenerate due to constant water heating up, the Korallen at lack of nutrient die. reproduction of the Korallen [Work on]

The animal world of the Great Barrier Reef A special event represents the annual colourful Korallenblüte, which serves the Vermehrung of the Korallen. This takes place at the Great Barrier Reef during the Australian spring in November and depends on a schedule given strictly by nature. The time affecting factors are the water temperature of for instance 27°C, the daily length and the Mondphase. Only minutiös an output of the Eizellen and seeds in large quantity, co-ordinated one on the other, ensures a successful reproduction under - caused by Fressfeinde and strong Meeresströmung - difficult the conditions. tourism [Work on]

About 8 million tourist visit the reef each year. 2003 spent it over four billion Australian dollar. Tourism for the northern Queensland is accordingly important to the navy. There are about 820 offerers from travels to the reef, which make approximately 1,500 boats, helicopters and small aircrafts available for routes to the reef. They operate from the coastal towns, whereby 85% of the tourism concentrate on the two cities Cairns and Airlie Beach. In the cities the enterprises offer trips, from daily routes to Segeltörns of several weeks. The vehicle size reaches from small sailing boats up to large Katamaranen, which have over 400 places. Approximately 40% of the tourism business lie thereby in the hands of the ten largest offerers.

Glass soil boat Dry foot can one the reef both by a travel with a glass soil boat or a half submarine admire, and by an attendance one of the innumerable underwater observatories. The most inquired kind of the reef experience is however snorkels or dipping. Ideal districts to dipping and snorkels are to the Outer Barrier because of the outside belt of the reef. Favoured by the proximity to the open sea the range of vision under water is increased, since fewer sediments in the water can settle. Particularly for the tourism pontoons in the external reef were festverankert, which are started with ships. Often the surrounding areas with nets are defined, in order to protect divers and Schnorchler against attacks from reef sharks or Muränen to. world inheritance and preventive measures [Work on]

On 26 October 1981 the reef system was explained of the UNESCO as the world nature inheritance. It fulfills all four of the criteria at that time. Preventive measures are only partially at short notice convertible due to the various causes. A majority of the destruction is due to the high feeding and suspended matter entry by intensive agriculture near the coast. Plant protection and fertilizers zuckerrohr and banana plan days arrive with the annual monsoon rains in territorial waters and destroy whole Korallenstöcke. Further pollutants arrive due to the increased land development of some islands and the routistic use of the reef in the sea water. Summed up set fuels and anchor throws of boats, sun oil of Schnorchlern and collecting souvenirs for the ecological system likewise to like thoughtless divers, who can destroy a whole Korallenast with only one fin impact. Also the consideration to bore in approximately 200,000 km ² the large area after oil threatens the reef. Against overfishing and the destruction of the reefs by Schleppnetze measures were already seized. But despite the prohibitions it will take years, until the ecological system turned out from the equilibrium recovered again. Due to the greenhouse effect the Great Barrier Reef was strongly affected by the Massenkorallenbleichen in the years 1998 and 2002. In the year 2002 60% to 95% of the reef had pulled in. The majority could recover again - five per cent of the reef however in so bad way it was destroyed that it will take several years until decades, until the reef recovered again complete from the damage. A further problem caused by the global ground electrode warming are increases arising Zyklone, which can destroy large ranges with their waves. As more natural, in addition, destructive enemy is to be called the poisonous thorn crown sea-star. It arises in temporal distances substantial and disappears then again. Its still unexplored occurrence leaves completely died reef sections, since it sucks and up-eats the living Korallenpolypen from its protecting lime housings. For the protection of the world inheritance more extensively, on 25 years strategy plan put on was prepared to investigate and again in the equilibrium bring with the goal, the endangered ecological system intensively - also, or straight because the Great Barrier Reef, contrary to many other corral reefs, which threaten to die, still in a relatively good condition is.