Ah, the delights of dawn in Australia. Mangroves are such a valuable resource, and add such beauty to the coast here. Mangroves are actually an integral part of coral reefs – they provide the nurseries for reef fish and also act as giant livers, filtering out the heavy metal and silt that would otherwise kill coral reef systems. Unfortunately they are not usually included in protected areas that encompass coral reefs – northern Queensland and its Great Barrier Reef are prime examples of this oversight.
It’s projected that the Great Barrier Reef will not survive beyond the year 2060. This doesn’t mean that the sea life will disappear by that time, but that what will remain (algae, dead coral, different fishlife) will no longer be recognisable as a coral reef. While that might not sound very bad, it is: the Great Barrier Reef plays crucial role in regulating rainfall in the northern part of Australia and as algae-based system will no longer perform that function. That is just one (very pragmatic) reason why we can’t afford to lose this particular ecosystem. And don’t get me started on the rest!
As the name suggests, there is also a horizontal version of this image – both are available to purchase as prints, stretched canvases, or full framed wall art for your home or office. Buy the vertical version here. Or the horizontal (landscape) version here.
