THE GREAT

BARRIER REEF
AQUATIC BIOMES
By Areej & Zahra
 INTRODUCTION & LOCATION OF GREAT
BARRIER REEF
The great barrier reef is found along the north-
east coast of Australia, it’s the worlds biggest
coral reef system, stretching over 2300 km. Home
to over 1500 kinds of fish and 400 types of coral.
Though as of now its facing touch challenges like
climate change and pollution.
NATURAL CHARACHTERISTICS
DIVERSE CORAL REEFS
01
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
02
HABITAT BIODIVERSITY
03
BREEDING GROUND
04
 DIVIERSE
01 CORAL REEFS
The Great Barrier Reef is known for its extensive
and diverse coral reefs, with over 600 types of hard
and soft corals. These reefs form intricate
ecosysyetems that provide habitats for a variety of
marine life, contributing to the reef being knows as
one of the most biodiverse regions on earth.
 MARINE
02 BIODIVERSITY
Within The Great Barrier Reef, there is a large
amount of marine biodiversity, including more
than 1500 species of fish, 400 species of coral, and
a variety of invertebretes. The many different types
of plants and animals in The Great Barrier Reef
create a complex ecosytems that shows how
important and strong the reef is.
 HABITAT
03 BIODIVERSITY
The reef consists of a wide range of unique
habitats, such as shallow coral gardens, deep-sea
trenches, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and
sandy cays. Each habitat type supports a distinct
communty of species, contributing to the ovreall
complexity and resillience of the Great Barrier Reef
ecosystem.
 BREEDING
04 GROUNDS
The Great Barrier Reef is a significant breeding
ground for a numerous amount of marine species,
including turtles, dolphins, and various whale
species. These bereding grounds are essential for
the survival and replenishment of marine
populations, showing the reefs crucial role in
mainting marine biodiversity.
 EXPLAIN HOW CHANGE IN ONE ELEMENT OF THE
BIOPHYSICAL ENVIORMENT (HUMAN ALTERATIONS) HAS
CHANGED THE NATURAL PHYSICAL CHARACHTERSTICS OF
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF.
CHEMICAL
SEDIMENTATION POLLUTION

NUTRIENT- CLIMATE
POLLUTION CHANGE
 SEDIMENTATION
● Coastal development, deforestation, and agricultural
practices have increased the runoff of sediment into
coastal waters. This excess sedimentation can smother
coral reefs, reducing the amount of light available for
photosynthesis and hindering coral growth.
Sedimentation also affects the health of seagrass beds
and mangrove forests, which are vital habitats within the
reef ecosystem. As a result, the natural physical
characteristic of clear, pristine waters surrounding the
reef is altered, leading to decreased water clarity and
increased turbidity.
 NUTRIENT POLLUTION
● Human activities such as agriculture, sewage discharge,
and urban runoff introduce excess nutrients, particularly
nitrogen and phosphorus, into coastal waters. This
nutrient pollution can lead to eutrophication, where
algae populations experience rapid growth, leading to
algal blooms. These blooms can shade and smother coral
reefs, causing coral bleaching and death. Additionally,
when the algae die and decompose, they consume
oxygen, leading to hypoxic or anoxic conditions that
further stress coral and other marine organisms.
Consequently, the natural physical characteristic of
balanced nutrient levels in the water is disrupted, leading
to nutrient enrichment and imbalances within the
ecosystem.
 CHEMICAL POLLUTION
● Chemical pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides,
heavy metals, and hydrocarbons from industrial
activities, shipping, and runoff can contaminate coastal
waters and accumulate in reef ecosystems. These
pollutants can directly harm coral, fish, and other
marine organisms, affecting their growth,
reproduction, and behavior. They can also disrupt the
symbiotic relationships between corals and algae,
leading to coral bleaching and mortality. As a result,
the natural
● physical characteristic of unpolluted, pristine waters is
compromised, leading to degraded water quality and
increased toxicity levels.
● .
 CLIMATE CHANGE
● While not directly caused by human alterations,
climate change exacerbates the impact of human-
induced stressors on the Great Barrier Reef. Rising sea
temperatures due to climate change contribute to coral
bleaching events, where corals expel their symbiotic
algae, leading to widespread coral mortality.
Additionally, ocean acidification, caused by the
absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
weakens coral skeletons and inhibits coral growth,
making them more vulnerable to other stressors such
as sedimentation and nutrient pollution. These
changes alter the natural physical characteristic of a
vibrant, thriving coral reef ecosystem, leading to
widespread coral decline and loss of biodiversity. .
ANALYSE HOW THE CHANGES IN THE ENVIROMENT HAS
AFFECTED THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PLANTS AND
ANIMALS THAT FORM A PART OF THAT BIOME

CORAL BLEACHING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

LOSS OF HABITAT

INVASIVE SPECIES
 CORAL BLEACHING
One of the most significant threats to the Great
Barrier Reef is coral bleaching, which occurs when
corals expel the algae living in their tissues due to
stress from high temperatures, pollution, or other
environmental factors. This bleaching event disrupts
the mutualistic relationship between corals and
algae, where algae provide energy to corals through
photosynthesis, and corals provide shelter and
nutrients to algae. Without the algae, corals lose their
main source of nutrition and become vulnerable to
disease and death, affecting the entire ecosystem's
balance.
 LOSS OF HABITAT
Human activities such as coastal development,
pollution, and overfishing have led to the loss
and degradation of habitats within the Great
Barrier Reef. This loss directly affects the
availability of shelter and food for various plant
and animal species. For example, seagrass beds
and mangrove forests, which are crucial habitats
for many marine species, have declined due to
pollution and coastal development, impacting
the interactions between species that rely on
these habitats for survival.
 INVASIVE SPECIES
The introduction of invasive species,
either intentionally or accidentally,
poses a significant threat to the native
plant and animal species of the Great
Barrier Reef. Invasive species often
outcompete native species for
resources, disrupt food webs, and alter
habitats, leading to changes in the
interactions between species within the
ecosystem.
 OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere have led to ocean acidification,
which occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon
dioxide, resulting in a decrease in pH. This
change in pH negatively affects calcifying
organisms such as corals, mollusks, and some
types of algae, as it inhibits their ability to build
calcium carbonate structures. As a result, the
availability of suitable habitat for these
organisms decreases, disrupting the interactions
between species that depend on them for
shelter and food.
 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the changing environment of the
Great Barrier Reef has profoundly affected the
interactions between plants and animals within this
biome. Coral bleaching, habitat loss, ocean
acidification, and the introduction of invasive
species have all contributed to disruptions in the
delicate balance of this ecosystem, threatening the
survival of numerous species and highlighting the
urgent need for conservation efforts to mitigate these
impacts.
 HARVARD BIBLIOGRAPHY
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● Hughes, T.P., Barnes, M.L., Bellwood, D.R., Cinner, J.E., Cumming, G.S., Jackson, J.B.C., Kleypas, J., van de Leemput, I.A., Lough,
J.M., Morrison, T.H., Palumbi, S.R., van Nes, E.H. and Scheffer, M. (2017). Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature, 546(7656), pp.82–
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● ‌Fabricius, K., De’ath, G., McCook, L., Turak, E. and Williams, D.McB. (2005). Changes in algal, coral and fish assemblages along water
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causes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, [online] 109(44), pp.17995–17999.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1208909109.
● Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Mumby, P.J., Hooten, A.J., Steneck, R.S., Greenfield, P., Gomez, E., Harvell, C.D., Sale, P.F., Edwards, A.J.,
Caldeira, K., Knowlton, N., Eakin, C.M., Iglesias-Prieto, R., Muthiga, N., Bradbury, R.H., Dubi, A. and Hatziolos, M.E. (2007). Coral
Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification. Science, 318(5857), pp.1737–1742.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152509.
● ‌UNESCO (2023). Great Barrier Reef. [online] Unesco.org. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/.
1. ‌Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (n.d.). About the Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved from
https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef
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