What causes the Great Barrier Reef to form? How did the Great Barrier Reef come to be?

Formation. It's incredible how big it is to build"Engineering"of"Architect", are coelenterate polyps with a diameter of only a few millimeters. Polyps are delicate and beautiful, and can only live in waters where the water temperature is maintained at 22-28 degrees throughout the year, and the water quality must be clean and transparent.

The continental shelf off the northeast coast of Australia is providing ideal conditions for polyps to thrive and reproduce. Polyps feed on plankton, live in groups, and secrete calcareous bones. The older generation of polyps leaves their remains after death, and the new generation continues to develop and reproduce, like a tree sprouting, to the heights and sides.

Year after year, calcareous bones secreted by polyps are cemented together with the remains of marine organisms such as algae and shells, and accumulate into coral reefs. The construction process of coral reefs is very slow, and under the best conditions, the reef does not thicken by more than 3-4 cm per year. Some reefs are hundreds of meters thick, indicating this"Architect"We've been here for a long time.

It also shows that Australia's northeast coast has experienced a subsidence process in geological history, which has led to the upward growth of corals in search of sunlight and food. On the Great Barrier Reef, there are more than 350 species of coral, ranging in shape, size and colour from tiny to up to 2 metres wide. Corals come in a variety of shapes, including fan-shaped, hemispherical, whip-shaped, antler-shaped, tree-shaped, and flower-shaped.

The color of the water inhabited by corals ranges from white, blue to blue indigo, and the corals are also pale pink, deep rose, bright yellow, and blue green, which are extremely vivid.

Formed by biodeposition (corals).

It is common in shallow tropical areas.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches from Cape York in northeastern Australia along the east coast and is 2,013 kilometres long, with less than 20 kilometres at its narrowest point and 240 kilometres at its widest point. It forms a natural breakwater off the eastern coast of Australia.

So, how did the Great Barrier Reef come to be? It turns out that the creator of the spectacular Great Barrier Reef is nothing more than a tiny coelenterate, the polyp. Polyps are small in size and brightly colored, but they are very demanding in terms of living conditions

The sea water temperature is not lower than 18, the annual water temperature difference can not exceed 7, the salinity of the sea water is best about 35, and the water quality must be clean. It generally lives on the calcareous highlands of the shallow seabed, ingests food from the seawater, and after digestion, secretes calcareous matter. After the old polyps die, their remains mix with the limestone, and new coral polyps continue to grow on them.

As this is deposited from generation to generation, the coral colonies continue to grow in all directions, growing larger and larger, and finally forming huge coral reef groups. According to scientists, the oldest part of the Great Barrier Reef is more than 30 million years old, and the coral body is more than 200 meters thick.

The southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef is 241 kilometres from the coast at its farthest point, the northern tip is closer, and the closest point is only 16 kilometres from the shore. At low tide, part of the reef outcrops to form coral islands. Between the reef and the coast, it is a very convenient sea route.

When the wind is calm, the cruise ship passes here, and the continuous colorful and multi-shaped coral scenery under the boat has become the best underwater wonder that attracts tourists from all over the world. There are 1,500 species of fish, more than 4,000 species of molluscs, and 242 species of birds. It is also home to some endangered animal species such as dugongs and giant green turtles.

The seasonal variation of sea water temperature in the reef area is small, and the surface water temperature is 21 38 (70 100) high, and the temperature changes little at depth. The water is crystal clear, and you can clearly see the underwater topography at a depth of 30 meters (100 feet). Suitable for biological survival.

Resources include lime, quartz sand, etc. Oil has recently been discovered, and measurement and test drilling have begun.

But it's a steep and unpredictable place with complex currents, and more than 400 different types of coral reefs, including the largest in the world. At low tide, about 80,000 kilometres of the reef are exposed, while at high tide most of the reef is hidden by the sea, leaving just over 600 reefs to flicker. Therefore, when the tide is low, it is not good for the boat, and the collision event has occurred, and the accident occurs.

Pros: The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest and most diverse marine ecosystem and has significant tourism and research value. It generates $4.5 billion a year in revenue for Australia.

Disadvantage: The Great Barrier Reef is a treacherous reef with a reef that is extremely unfavorable for shipping.

Australia's greatest barrier reef is the world's largest and longest coral reef group, located on the northeast coast of Australia in the South Pacific, which runs through the Coral Sea off the northeast of Queensland, Australia, from the Torres Strait in the north to the south of the Tropic of Cancer (about 10° south latitude to 24° south latitude).