Reefer Madness Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bleaching

Coral bleaching can occur in coral with a single degree of change in ocean temperature, so it's unsurprising that climate change has a big effect on this part of the sea. The temperature has a big effect on chemical reactions that are necessary for the development of coral polyps and algae and, when they can't make this right, they cause the bleaching effect.

This is why many stretches of the Great Barrier Reef look dead. They might not be-- yet-- but the lack of healthy flora means that reef health is compromised until the reactions can create energy.

The polyps are, for lack of a better term, starved. The biggest bleaching events in the world tend to coincide with El Nino, a weather phenomenon that is only exacerbated by climate change and the factors involved.

Answer: Desertification

Although studies have established that the wetlands along the coast in Queensland are at lower risk than they have been in decades past, external forces have definitely made a bit of an impact on this region's ability to work hand-in-hand with the reef; both operate in tandem to support each other.

This coastal stretch may not be at risk of becoming a desert, but higher sea levels brought on by climate change have been responsible for flooding, new fish species have impacted existing ecosystems therein, and human visitors have enjoyed the region's whitewater rafting, sightseeing tours, and birdwatching opportunities.

The Great Barrier Reef Coastal Wetlands Protection Programme was purposely made to ensure this region doesn't degrade, in turn assisting the reef's longevity.

Their ecosystems are innately linked.

Answer: Over-mineralization

Eutrophication is a process in which water becomes over-mineralized leading to the overwhelming growth and proliferation of algae. In the case of the Great Barrier Reef, eutrophication occurs, for the most part, from the run-off of fertilizer used in the feeder rivers leading to the reef, leading uncommon minerals to spread and leech more necessary minerals from the waters around healthy coral.

These minerals, in turn, lead to the rise of other species that are known to harm reef-life.

Answer: Farming

Although farming, for the most part, would be considered essential by most, it's an activity that posits a double-edged sword. We may need food, but a farm needs water in order to function, and the best place to get that is from a water source such as a stream or river. Like in the case of eutrophication, the activities involve run-off from land-based factors; farming agitates soil and causes unnatural erosion to occur, and this sediment flows out to sea causing turbidity (clouding the water) and decreasing light necessary for healthy coral growth.

Answer: Pesticide

Although many would argue that these pesticides are necessary to sustain crops in parts of the country that contain more voracious bugs and harsher ecological threats, it goes without saying that pesticides come with certain harm in their use, some that leech into the soil and don't have as strong an effect until they've washed away over time. Even with strict moderation and control, pesticides can travel in the rain, let alone as wastewater, and spread lead, arsenic, and even mercury all the way out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Answer: Nitrates

Though Queensland is likely better known for its other industries, mining still has held a place there, specifically in coal, copper, and nickel. One of many problems with mining, generally, is that the process of mining leads to the creation of wastewater, which occurs when minerals previously trapped in the Earth react to or diffuse into water needed for the job or from rain. Ideally, the wastewater is placed into treatment facilities to be reused somewhere down the line, but even a portion of that is still unusable. Unsurprisingly, in the past, some companies have neglected to do this, instead dumping their wastewater into the ocean.

Answer: Starfish

While it may seem from the outside that another creature's influence on the Great Barrier Reef might not be directly based on human activity, the crown-of-thorns is a unique case. These venomous starfish subside on coral polyps and, because of this, they can devour the living portions of coral in their hunger, wiping out swaths of coral in a system. Plagues of crowns-of-thorns have been known to crop up periodically brought on by warmer sea temperatures, shifts in mineral content in waterways, damage to other habitats, and overfishing.

In the case of the former two factors, the crown-of-thorns isn't necessarily affected directly, but their other food source, phytoplankton, can spike in these instances, allowing for further proliferation.

Answer: Fly fishing

On the individual level there is certainly a lot that can be done about ensuring the waterways and ecosystems of the world are kept healthy and safe. Fly fishing, typically a personal venture in streams, creeks, and rivers, is going to have a smaller impact than the fishing boats that, at one point, frequented the region around the Great Barrier Reef.

Although laws were put in place to protect marine life in the reef and prevent fishing (both for specific species and in general), there were many occasions in which nets and anchors have scraped along the sea floor, damaging the physical reef in addition to clearing out its denizens. And with boats, of course, comes pollution from human and industrial sources as well as noise.

Answer: Oil

In one of a handful of oil-related disasters on the Great Barrier Reef, this boat was transporting oil from China to Australia but diverged from its route to run aground, scraping along the reef for several kilometres and dumping several tons of oil into the water.

It wasn't the first time for the region. A year before, a massive oil spill occurred off the coast of Queensland, spilling significantly more into the waters south of the reef and prompting a year-long clean-up. Ultimately, an investigation was conducted on the cause of the 2010 spill.

This concluded quickly; it was blamed on the navigator not remembering to program the ship's GPS.

Answer: Sharks

Due to the potential danger and overpopulation of sharks along the coast, the State of Queensland commenced shark culling in the 1960s, purposely setting lines out over the Great Barrier Reef. While this may have been done with the intent to protect the waters, the program continued on into the 2010s, inadvertently killing more large marine life besides sharks. On a larger scale, this culling of predators causes a shift, allowing creatures down the field chain to proliferate. Studies, however, have shown that fewer sharks have been culled, combined, than other marine life by a ratio of one shark to nearly two other marine creatures.