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Great Barrier Reef
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5/18/2018 Great Barrier Reef
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Dear Prime Minister
The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-
east coast of Australia. It contains the orld!s lar"est collection of coral reefs#
ith $%% ty&es of coral# '#(%% s&ecies of )sh and $#%%% ty&es of mollusc. It also
holds "reat scienti)c interest as the habitat of s&ecies such as the du"on" and
the lar"e "reen turtle# hich are threatened ith e*tinction.
The Great Barrier Reef# and in &articular the northern sector# is im&ortant in the
historic and contem&orary culture of the Abori"inal and Torres +trait Islander
"rou&s of the coastal areas of north-east Australia. There is a stron" s&iritual
connection ith the ocean and its inhabitants.
The Great Barrier Reef ill be so de"raded by armin" aters that it ill be
unreco"ni,able ithin % years# accordin" harlie /eron# former chief scientist of
the Australian Institute of Marine +cience# at a conference in 0ondon1 The Great
Barrier Reef ill be over ithin % years or so. They ould be the orld!s )rst
"lobal ecosystem to colla&se. I have the backin" of every coral reef scientist#every research or"ani,ation.
After bein" a hi"hly successful life form for (% million years# disru&tions in the
biolo"ical and communication systems of coral reefs have been found to be the
underlyin" cause of the coral bleachin" and colla&se of reef ecosystems around
the orld.
oral reefs form the orld2s bi""est sin"le structure made by livin" or"anisms#
Australia2s Great Barrier Reef# hich is visible from outer s&ace. The reef is
com&osed of over #3%% individual reefs and 3%% islands stretchin" for over
4#%%% kilometres over an area of a&&ro*imately 4$$#$%% s5uare kilometres.
They are bein" &ressured by chan"es in ocean tem&erature# &ollution#
over)shin"# sedimentation# acidi)cation# o*idative stress and disease# and the
syner"istic e6ect of some of these &roblems may destroy reefs even hen one
cause by itself ould not. +ome estimates have su""ested % &ercent of the
orld2s coral reefs are already dead and an additional $ &ercent are "ravely
threatened.
In December of last year# your 7nvironment Minister Gre" 8unt "ave the "o-
ahead to the Abbot Point coal terminal e*&ansion at Boen in north 9ueensland.
Millions of cubic metres of soil must be dred"ed and dum&ed near the reef for
the coal &ort to be constructed.
The best available science makes it very clear that e*&ansion of the &ort at
Abbot Point ill have detrimental e6ects on the Great Barrier Reef. +ediment
from dred"in" can smother corals and sea"rasses and e*&ose them to &oisons
and elevated nutrients. Dred"in" sediment smothers corals# e*&oses them to
&oisons and reduces &hotosynthesis.
If the ater is not clear# if it2s turbid throu"h too much sediment it cuts don on
the amount of li"ht and reduces the amount of "roth and health of those corals.
Research from Gladstone shos dred"e s&oil moves much further than
&reviously thou"ht. A &a&er came out in %' that shoed &lumes of sediment
can reach the Great Barrier Reef 5uite easily.
5/18/2018 Great Barrier Reef
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The actions of your "overnment and cor&orate lobbyists &uts this natural onder
at a further risk. I im&lore that you look at the situation lo"ically and ith lon"
term conse5uences in mind. :our "overnment and the Australian &eo&le have
more to lose if you "o ahead ith this treacherously senseless &lan. The &eo&le
of Australia on!t take the decision lyin" don# I can "uarantee that.
:ours faithfully#A concerned citi,en
5/18/2018 Great Barrier Reef
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