Photograph by Xanthe Rivett
Reef Walk 2013 is a community project initiated by 72 year old June Norman. This year June, along with a group of committed people, is walkomg the 1,200 km from Cairns to Gladstone to highlight threats to the reef.
The Reef Walkers left Cairns on Saturday 1st June with a strong display of community support.
Want to join the walk? For more information on joining the walk visit reefwalk2013.com.
Why walk?
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef ecosystem on our blue planet, representing about 10% of all the world’s coral reefs. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is dearly loved by locals and visitors alike.
There are more different species of animals and plants in a cubic metre of the
Australia’s oceans are some of the richest and most diverse on our blue planet. Global studies have revealed that our northern oceans are some of the last remaining healthy tropical seas in the world. In our cool blue south, an incredible 80% of the marine species living in our temperate oceans occur nowhere else on Earth. Great Barrier Reef than in any other environment in the world – including tropical rainforests. In fact, some reefs in the Great Barrier Reef have more different fish types than in the entire Caribbean Ocean.
In terms of the Australian economy, the Great Barrier Reef alone generates over 6 billion dollars worth of revenue per year. But all this is under threat from plans from unprecedented expansion of the coal industry coal seam gas and its associated infrastructure.
Queensland’s 50 new port, rail and mine developments are too much, too quickly for a reef already under pressure.
Up to 10,000 ships a year through the Great Barrier Reef by the end of the decade, compared to less than 2.000 in 2011.
