|
"TAKE ONLY PHOTOS AND
LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS" |
OCEAN SPIRIT CRUISES
- The Great Barrier Reef is made up of million
upon millions of tiny coral polyps. The skeletons that
they secrete are what make up the vivid and spectacular
gardens of colour that amaze thousands of people each
year. Approximately 500 species of coral are known in
the Indo-Pacific region and 70% of these are found on
The Great Barrier Reef.
An individual coral polyp consists of a fleshy sack
topped with a ring of tentacles around a central mouth
opening. Many corals have a brownish-coloured alga
living within the polyp. The alga uses sunlight and
carbon dioxide to produce food for the polyp and this
may provide as much as 98% of its diet. Corals that
don’t have a partnership with these algae rely on
capturing prey with their stinging cells. This could
include microorganisms, worms, urchins and even fish.
Coral grow at varied speeds with the quickest being the
stag horn which can add as much as 15 cm each year to
their branching tips. Due to its rapid growth it is very
brittle and many years of growth can be broken off very
easily if they are bumped or stepped on. Other corals
such as the brain coral can grow into massive boulders
nearly three metres high. Formation such as this may be
nearly 1000 years old!
The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonderland of fish
and coral, and thousands of people travel here each year
to marvel at its beauty. To preserve its beauty there
are hefty fines for anyone who decides to take some of
this living fossil home with them. Ocean Spirit’s fully
trained biologists and naturalists on board are there
for you to ask as many as many questions in your
discovery of the Great Barrier Reef.
Your day on The Great Barrier Reef will be one that you
will never forget, but remember our motto:
|
"TAKE ONLY PHOTOS AND
LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS" |
|
|
