Pat and I were fortunate indeed to spend 3 days and 4 nights on board a diving vessel, based on and moving to a different location each night,
on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia,
We spent up to 7 hours per day snorklling in the superlative natural beauty of this underwater wonderland.
The Great Barrier Reef is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
It's also listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
The reef is the single largest living organism on Earth, and is the only living organism visible to the naked eye from outer space.
Words cannot begin to describe the beauty and splendour of these complex underwater ecosystems, with their immense biodiversity, for example:
600 species of Coral
1,500 species of Fish
4,000 species of Mollusc
But, such beauty and splendour could be lost forever, within the next 50 years.
Rising sea temperatures caused by global warming, stresses corals, causing them to turn completely white, a process known as bleaching.
As the planet continues to warm up and ocean temperatures continue to increase ( I note today that some scientists are alarmed at the sudden rise in global temperatures this September 2023) bleaching events could occur annually as soon as 2030.
As we pump more and more greenhouse gasses into the sky the oceans too become poisoned.
Oceans absorb carbon dioxide and it is estimated they have soaked up over 25% of the excess C02 that has been released by humans.
When oceans absorb this carbon dioxide they undergo chemical changes and become more acidic.
It only takes a slight increase in ocean acidity to have a devastating effect on fragile locations like the Great Barrier Reef, leading to the death of many areas of coral.
If climate change was halted today, it would take 50 years for the effects of acidification to be eliminated from our oceans.
If climate change is not addressed with sincerity, coral reefs, oceans and even perhaps our planet may never recover!
Enjoy the video
Негізгі бет Extraordinary: Superlative: Natural Wonder: Great Barrier Reef: Au
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