A Natural Wonder

I spent the spring of 2009 studying abroad at the University of Sydney. During my five months abroad, I fell in love with Australia and the beauty and diversity of the land. I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days in Cairns, and was able to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. One of the things the instructors kept telling us was that we were going to be the last generation to enjoy the reef because of the environmental factors that threaten it. Before I get into these threats, I would like to talk about the reef and why it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.


The Great Barrier Reef from Space
Photo Credit: greatbarrierreef.org

As the only living structure that can be seen from space, the Great Barrier Reef spans roughly 1,250 miles down the east coast of Australia. The diversity of sea life is unlike any other. According to BarrierReefAustralia.com, the reef is home to 2,800 species of fish, 400 different types of coral, 500 species of seaweed, and 215 species of birds.

In 2007, an article, "Great Barrier Reef may harbour cures for hundreds of diseases," was published by an online news website called Thaindian News that discussed the medical benefits of the Great Barrier Reef. The author explains that a chemical produced by marine sponges is a key ingredient in the treatment used to treat patients with AIDS.

That article was published 3 years ago. Think of the advances in technology and research in the last three years. Can you imagine how many more natural chemicals and treatments for diseases could be discovered in the Great Barrier Reef in the years to come?

According to Mangobay.com, by 2050, 95% of the coral could be dead. There are so many resources and unknown benefits of the reef, not to mention that it is one of the most beautiful structures in the natural world. It's a shame that there are so many factors working against it, and generations to come will not have the pleasure of enjoying it.


Photo Credit: abc.net.au