Great Barrier Reef Said to Face Catastrophic Damage (Ed Johnson and Jeremy Van Loon)

An aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef, in Cairns, Australia, Aug. 7, 2009. Photographer: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Catastrophic damage to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s most extensive bank of coral and a magnet for skin divers, may be unavoidable if global warming continues unchecked, Australian officials said.

Concerned that their national treasure will become part of a wider destruction of the earth’s marine habitats, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said today that warming is hurting reefs and that urgent action is needed to reduce run-off of nutrients and chemicals from farms that poses a second threat.

“Improving the quality of water flowing into the reef is one of the most important things we can do to help the reef withstand the impacts of climate change,” Bligh told journalists today in Brisbane.

The bleaching of coral, warmer water and more acidic oceans triggered when industrial carbon dioxide dissolves in sea water all contribute to the destruction marine habitats globally. Australian officials commented following forecasts made today by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

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