The post 5 Facts You Never Knew About The Great Barrier Reef appeared first on Traveler Master.
]]>Coral polyps are tiny colonial animals and their cells contain symbiotic algae. These polyps produce calcium carbonate which expands. Marine life grabs onto the colony and the pieces grow to create the reef, which is made up entirely of living organisms.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to 30 species of dolphins and whales, 1,500 species of fish and 17 different kinds of sea snake. It is also home to the most dangerous marine animal to humans, and it is not a shark or a stingray. It is in fact the box jellyfish, which has a sting that is so painful, humans die of shock or heart failure before they can make it out of the water.
In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tourist tax of $6.50 is charged per person per day to help fund conservation. The reef attracts 2,000,000 visitors per year.
When Google launched its Street View feature on maps, we all hunted down our streets and found our house. Since 2012, we have also been able to take a virtual tour through the Great Barrier Reef. It’s the perfect way to relax before bed.
Once a year, coral spawns in synchronicity. Colonies of coral polyps release billions of tiny eggs, creating an image not too dissimilar to an underwater blizzard or snowstorm. Scientists are still unsure exactly why this happens, but they can agree that it is rather spectacular.
The post 5 Facts You Never Knew About The Great Barrier Reef appeared first on Traveler Master.
]]>The post 5 Facts You Never Knew About The Great Barrier Reef appeared first on Traveler Master.
]]>Coral polyps are tiny colonial animals and their cells contain symbiotic algae. These polyps produce calcium carbonate which expands. Marine life grabs onto the colony and the pieces grow to create the reef, which is made up entirely of living organisms.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to 30 species of dolphins and whales, 1,500 species of fish and 17 different kinds of sea snake. It is also home to the most dangerous marine animal to humans, and it is not a shark or a stingray. It is in fact the box jellyfish, which has a sting that is so painful, humans die of shock or heart failure before they can make it out of the water.
In 1981, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tourist tax of $6.50 is charged per person per day to help fund conservation. The reef attracts 2,000,000 visitors per year.
When Google launched its Street View feature on maps, we all hunted down our streets and found our house. Since 2012, we have also been able to take a virtual tour through the Great Barrier Reef. It’s the perfect way to relax before bed.
Once a year, coral spawns in synchronicity. Colonies of coral polyps release billions of tiny eggs, creating an image not too dissimilar to an underwater blizzard or snowstorm. Scientists are still unsure exactly why this happens, but they can agree that it is rather spectacular.
The post 5 Facts You Never Knew About The Great Barrier Reef appeared first on Traveler Master.
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