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Home  »  Reef Beat  »  Reef Beat 2004  »  Why get involved?

Why get involved?

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Caring for catchments and better land management is essential to the survival of the Great Barrier Reef.

Catchments link the land to the Reef. Therefore, what we do on the land affects the water that flows into the Reef. It's important to care for catchment areas to ensure they are protected and can provide friendly support to the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. Protection for 'riparian areas' - vegetation that grows alongside the rivers - is vital as they stabilise riverbanks, 'trap' polluted runoff and provide homes and food for a diverse range of animals.

The Great Barrier Reef is under pressure. Some clear indications include:

  • Elevated levels of nutrients and sediments flowing into the Marine Park each year from rivers and estuaries
  • Crown of thorns starfish outbreaks
  • Coral bleaching events, and
  • Continual alarming declines in some of our threatened species, such as dugong and loggerhead turtles.

To turn this around, all communities are invited to become informed about best environmental practices and to adopt a code of behaviour that is best for the Reef.