FA: Vocabulary

disposable, habitat . government, disruption, natural emergency,

reserve, ecosystems, carbon footprint, influencers, sustainability,,
overconsumption. environment, water pollution, volunteers

Protecting complex ………………………. such as the Great Barrier Reef

which lies next to Australia and stretches for over 2000 kilometers is a
very difficult task for any …………………… with all its horses and men.
The reason is, nature is much more complex than eco-oriented
…………………… might tell us.
The buzz around the Reed revolves around protecting the corals. Easy
enough, ………….. must be the problem. Shut down the plants, divert
the boats, turn the whole area into a huge ………………., save the
corals, the fishes, the turtles and the Great White Sharks. Not so fast.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, corals are dying mainly for causes
having little to do with our big bad factories having a huge
……………………….. or the terrible ……………………….. of
…………………….plastic containers for foods and drinks.
No way. Corals are eaten by starfish. Half a century of research has not
shown whether this phenomena is caused by a …………………….. of
this peculiar marine …………………….. or is what one would call
“natural competition”. The starfish just keep on coming from the deep
and eat away the corals.
Scientists are almost sure, however, that if we do nothing, the reef as we
know it, will soon be gone. And since it is a …………………. for
hundreds of animals, they might disappear as well.
Australian scientists have tried innumerable ………………….. measures
to stop the starfish. They tried to launch special sea drones to hunt them.
They have sent …………………………… to remove the animals by
hand. Nothing seems to work in the long run. There is still hope in a
natural solution. There is a sea snail, called the Giant Triton, which
seems to be the only ……………..predator of the starfish. Hopefully, if
the snails eat the starfish fast enough, the reef will be saved for good.
……………………………….. can be tough.