Conservation Groups

Organizations all over the world, and especially in Australia, are using different methods to address and bring attention to the threats facing the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is a branch of the Australian Government that has been around for over 30 years. Their main objective is to protect the Great Barrier Reef and to "ensure that the ecosystem's natural fuctions are maintained." More specifically, the Marine Park Authority aims to protect threatened species living in or around the reef. In an effort to protect the species, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority created a "network of marine sanctuaries that stretch from the Park's northernmost to southern boundaries. This is the world's largest network of marine sanctuaries and covers over a third of the Marine Park - protecting over 11 million hectares," according to WWF-Australia.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Australia) is an independent conservation group with branches in over 100 countries around the world. In Australia, some of the main focuses include climate change and marine life protection.


Photo Credit: Penang State Tourism

In 2007, WWF-Australia began a yearly hour-long event in Sydney, Australia called Earth Hour. For one hour on one night of the year, people all over the world joined together and turned off their lights to bring attention to global climate change. In just four years, Earth Hour has become a worldwide event, growing from 2.2 million participants the first year, to about one billion participants on March 27, 2010.

This is a picture of Sydney, Australia before and during Earth Hour:


Photo Credit: Tim Blair

Also in 2007, WWF Australia started the Save the Coral Sea Campaign, which encouraged the Australian Government to "declare the Coral Sea a Marine Protected Area." (WWF-Australia Coral Sea Protection.) According to WWF-Australia, the Coral Sea, located near the Great Barrier Reef, is "one of the world's last remaining pristine tropical marine environments."

WWF says that if the area is not protected from fishing and other harmful activities, many of the Coral Sea's species, including Reef Sharks, will be in danger. The campaign spread in just a short amount of time, and in three years some progress has been made. In May 2009, the Australian Government agreed to create a 1 million square kilometer (roughly 621,270 square miles) protection area in the Coral Sea.

This video talks about the danger the Coral Sea is in, and how quickly the news of the campaign spread: Save the Coral Sea Campaign - WWF


Photo Credit: CoolMelbourne.org

Greenpeace is another organization, with branches in countries all over the world, who is bringing attention to overfishing and climate change. With their "Defending our Pacific" campaign, Greenpeace is calling for the "protection of Pacific tuna through the establishment of marine reserves spanning the four pockets of international waters in the Pacific Ocean."

These conservation organizations are just a few examples of what groups in Australia and around the world are doing to bring attention to climate change and to protect the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding areas. With worldwide involvement in events like Earth Hour, it is encouraging to know that so many people are dedicated to conserving Earth's natural landmarks and resources.

If you're interested in figuring out your carbon footprint, check out WWF's Carbon Footprint Calculator


Photo Credit: GuestOfAGuest.com