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In order to understand what Diane Johnson meant in her story and what symbolism reef had I think it will be appropriate to examine in depth what is Great Barrier Reef, with which the main theme of the story was associated. Great Barrier Reef is undoubtedly a great symbol used for expression of protection, beauty and weakness at the same time. It is possible to see how this one symbol can incorporate so many different meanings through discovering wonder of nature Australian Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is a chain of coral reefs in the Coral Sea, off the northeastern coast of Australia. The Barrier reef is one of the biggest in the world it measures in 2011 km in length and 72 km across at its widest point.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to a remarkable number of organisms. The coral itself is made up of the skeletons of tiny, flowerlike water animals called polyps, held together by a limestone substance produced by a type of algae. The corals which make up the various reefs and cays, and which are the base for this variety of sea and animal life, consist of individual coral polyps; tiny living creatures, which join together to form colonies. Each polyp is a tiny jelly-like blob crowned by tentacles, and looks not unlike an anemone, but much smaller. Each polyp lives inside a shell of aragonite, a type of calcium carbonate, which is the hard shell, we recognize as coral. The polyps join together to create forests of colored coral in interesting fan, antler, and brain and plate shapes.
The ideal environment for coral is shallow warm water where there is a lot of water movement, plenty of light, where the water is salty and low in nutrients. Reefs are sensitive to climate change, to changes in patterns of water movement. They can be damaged by such problems like global warming, El Nio, the building of moorings or breakwaters, any additional nutrients running off land from human habitation, may well have a negative effect on the reef system, and thus on the sea and land animals which depend upon it for survival. Over the years, the coral has brought many ships to grief one of the most famous wrecks is that of the HMS Pandora. The Great Barrier Reef is a resource, which is used mostly for profit, and there is great profit to be gained by tourism and by studying these beautiful pieces of coral. They may be able to find a way of making it improved to increase the tourist dollar.
The other big business for the Great Barrier Reef is recreational fishing which has increased sharply in the last ten years. The reef generates 1 billion a year from tourism, fishing and other ventures. The main reefs are under threat from the major industries, tourism and agriculture. Seven hundred thousand tourists come to see the reef each year and the numbers are still increasing by ten percent per year.
Fleets of wave piercing catamarans helicopters and seaplanes speed thousands daily to outer reefs that a few year ago entertained only a handful of visitors. This is taking a great toll on the reef. The boats do not have storage tanks and the human waste is dumped straight into the ocean. This puts lots of phosphate into the ocean and the reef.
It also puts too much nitrogen, which helps algae grow, and algae help to kill coral. In addition, there are major problems with the nitrates and phosphates coming down the rivers after the cane growers put it on there crops. Major rain can happen and then this erodes the nitrates and phosphates from the land and into rivers down the rivers and out to sea. This is a way, which kills the reef by making it brittle, and making the water cloudy also more algae appears. Physical damage from tourists taking little bits of coral with them or an anchor dropping can break a few corals. This takes a long time to re-grow.
The only way we can keep the reef there in its full glory is by preservation. This can include things like adding a sewerage treatment plant at places near or on islands near coral reef so that they do not just pump the waste a long way out to sea thus helping to kill the coral by breeding algae. If the marine parks and fisheries department really want to save this reef then they have to have people in boats making sure people dont take anything there they are not supposed to and to ensure that boat limits are not ignored. We can stop the flow of phosphates and nitrates from coming into the river by green cutting, chopping the part needed and mulching the rest. This can be done instead of burning the crop.
Physical damage can be stopped by more closely policed laws and by tourists not being allowed to dive without an instructor who will enforce this and by not taking coral from the reef. Taking into consideration all four factors if the reef is not looked after properly it will become just a place of death to coral, and the tourist dollar will be lost. In the ocean there is a cycle that goes on that is vital in the existence of the worlds reefs. If this cycle is broke, corals can become weak and more susceptible to storm damage and disease. Coral reefs are formed by a buildup of calcium carbonate produced by the corals and other calcium-secreting organisms. If calcium production declines, coral and algal skeletons will weaken and reef building may slow or stop.
The reef then becomes more vulnerable to erosion. By examining all the information about Great Barrier Reef it is possible to see what a natural wonder it is. The reef from one hand appears to be week and seems that it should be protected, and from another hand, it is huge barrier that protects Australia from natural disasters. Reef is beautiful. It is place for life. In Diane Johnsons story reef is mainly a symbol of protection and life.
Such a barrier in the story is becoming very important psychologically, because an individual should try to imagine all the immense power that reef possesses and compare it with its weakness. Theme of barrier as of protector was dominant in Diane Johnsons story.
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Research essay sample on Great Barrier Reef Calcium Carbonate
