After discussing in class on Monday the many different anthropogenic effects of humans on the Great Barrier Reef I became interested in seeing which groups were the ones most likely to support protecting the reef. I discovered this article, showing a huge controversy of whether a coal port should be put in at Abby Point, a city directly on the Reef. In order for the port to be constructed, a large amount of dredging must be conducted. Despite activists concerns of sediment smothering of the coral by the dredging, the Australian Government is still pushing this project, despite signs of diminishing returns since China and other countries are beginning to cut back on their coal consumption. A final decision will be made in June 2014 once a proposal outlining every effort possible to preserve the reef. It will be interesting to see how the nearby coral will be effected by increased ship travel and even how the nutrient recycling of the ecosystem will be impacted by the migratory/range distance of larger organisms such as sharks.
Article: http://rt.com/news/barrier-reef-coal-mud-448/
Feature Image: http://rt.com/news/barrier-reef-coal-mud-448/
Post Image: http://rt.com/news/barrier-reef-coal-mud-448/