Stretching more than 2.300 kilometers along Queensland's coastline and covering 35 million hectares, the Great Barrier is the world's largest coral reef, and probably the richest. More than 1.500 species of fish, 4.000 species of molluscs, 400 species of sponge and 300 species of hard corals live here.

    The reef is Queensland's first world heritage area. It is very importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with significant cultural sites on many of its islands. The reef is very important in other ways. The World Heritage Area is worth some $5.4 billion to the Australian economy. As many as $3.5 billion of that amount goes into the local towns and communities bordering the reef.

    Recent research published by the Australian Institute of Marine Science has found two primary factors that have caused a very significant decline in coral cover over the last 30 years or so. They are extreme weather and the crown-of-thorns starfish. The same research is telling us that coral cover north of Cook town is generally stable, but the southern area is experiencing major losses.

    The reef's complexities are well described in the 2013 Scientific Consensus Statement. This science contributed to the updated Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan). The plan is a state and federal initiative designed to stop and reverse the decline in reef water quality. The consensus statement confirms that the major cause of coral cover loss is extreme weather events, such as cyclones. Clearly, we are not able to influence such events.

    The second Great Barrier Reef Report Card confirms that management change and water quality improvements are tracking positively, but more needs to be done. The report was released in July 2013 and based on 2011 Paddock to Reef Monitoring Program data. The Queensland and Australian governments, together with industry, regional bodies, and conservation groups, will continue working hard to maintain progress towards Reef Plan targets. We want to be sure that the reef has the best possible opportunity to recover from cyclone damage and crown-of-thorns starfish attacks.

(Diadaptasi dari https://www.ql(D)gov.au/environment/agriculture/sustainable-farming/reef-protection/)

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