Hydrosphere Journal Entry

Hydrosphere Journal Entry

Oil Spill Threatens Great Barrier Reef (April 8, 2010)

A Chinese coal-carrying ship broke apart on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, leaking more than two tons of toxic fuel oil into the reef's sensitive marine ecosystem. The oil slick stretched for over two miles (three kilometer), according to Queensland officials. The ship was taking an illegal shortcut across the reef, off-limits to shipping to protect the thousands of marine species that inhabit it. A boom was placed around the ship to contain the spill, while planes sprayed chemical dispersants to break up the oil slick.

An oil spill is the last thing the Great Barrier Reef needed. It already faces serious threats from climate change, fishing, and polluted runoff from cites and farms. Rising acid levels from the increase in greehouse gases and warmer ocean water contribute to coral bleaching, a process that kills microscopic algae that nourish living coral. A recent report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the reef could be "functionally extinct" within a few decades if the situation doesn't improve.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest structure built by living organisms on Earth, stretching across more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km). The reef is the site of incredible biodiversity with 1,500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrate and plant species.