HOW IS HUMAN ACTIVITY IMPACTING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF Human activity has in recent years led to the loss of large sections of Reef and raised serious questions about the strength of its biodiversity and its long-term future. Historically, tropical cyclones and poor water quality that cause outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish (which eat coral) have been the major causes of coral loss. In the past two years, successive coral bleaching events caused by underwater heatwaves due to climate change, have caused massive coral loss throughout the Reef World Heritage Area. Meanwhile, sediment reaching the Reef has increased up to 10 times in some areas in the last 150 years, mostly due to grazing and cropping expansion. Such run-off is regarded as the second most significant pressure on the Reef. High levels of nitrogen can generate outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish, with excess nutrients also making corals prone to disease and promoting unwanted seaweed growth. Parts of the Reef where commercial fishing is allowed have been depleted of predatory fish such as coral trout and snapper, allowing smaller fish to thrive, which has altered the balance and structure of the coral reef ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef is so big it is visible from space. This collection of more than 3,000 individual vibrantly-coloured coral reefs is larger in area than Italy and is considered the planet’s largest living structure and one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The Reef was designated a World Heritage Area in 1981 due to its status as one of the richest and most complex ecosystems on Earth. It is home to thousands of species, including 1,625 different fish, 133 sharks and rays, 242 birds and many varieties of whale, dolphin, sea turtle, dugong, crocodile and sea snake. The Reef is also a key economic asset, generating around $A6.4 billion a year and providing livelihoods to approximately 69,000 people, mainly from tourism. © WWF-AUS / IAN MCCONNELF FACT SHEET Under threat © WWF-AUSTRALIA Sediment from grazing and cropping expansion puts pressure on the Reef © WWF-AUS / KERRY TRAPNELL A coal export facility in Gladstone, QLD