1. The Great Barrier Reef

2. Basic Facts • Located off Northeastern Australia • 1,240 miles long • More than 2,800 reefs • 1,500 species of fish • 359 types of hard coral • 33% of the world's soft corals • 175 bird species • 6 of the 7 species of threatened marine turtles • More than 30 species of marine mammals including vulnerable dugongs • Only living thing on earth visible from space! • 2 million visitors each year. Dugong (Sea Cow) Green turtle hatchling. Photo: Mark Hallam

3. Reef Tourism • Marine tourism industry is a major contributor to the local and Australian economy generating over $4.228 billion per year in 2003 • Possible Vacation Activities: • Day tours • Overnight and extended tours • Snorkeling • Scuba diving and fishing charters • Long range roving tours • Aircraft or helicopter tours • Bare boats (self-sail) • Glass-bottomed boat viewing • Educational trips • Cruise ships • Beach hire and water sports • Passenger ferries • Whale watching and swimming with dolphins.

4. Dangers to the Reef • Global warming • Human activity • Runoff from mining and farming that goes into the ocean • Petroleum leaks • Fertilizers from land near GBR • Overfishing

6. To Learn More… • http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/tourism_overview.php • http://sitemaker.umich.edu/gc2sec7labgroup3/pollution