Human Impact (Positive)
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) are the administrators of the park. They issue permits for various forms of use of the marine park, monitor usage in the park to ensure compliance with park management. The GBRMPA is funded by Commonwealth Government Appropriations that includes an environmental management charge levied on the permit-holders passengers. Currently this is $4.50 per day per passenger (to a maximum of $13.50 per trip). The tourism also plays a major role by helping the economy of The Great Barrier Reef.
Human Impact (Negative)
Human activity has destroyed more than 35 million acres of coral reefs. Despite their protection in national parks, coral reefs in the Australia face many of the threats suffered by reef ecosystems worldwide. Touching, kicking, walking on, or collecting coral when snorkeling or diving; dropping anchor on reefs when boating; or fishing in reef areas cause serious damage to reef ecosystems and devastate coral.
Another significant impact humans have had on the coral reef ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef is its pollution problem. There are numerous ways humans have added harmful pollutants into our oceans that can cause serious damage to the fragile ecosystems of the coral reefs. Fertilizers and pesticides are another agricultural practice that damages the health of coral reefs. Sedimentation is another large impact on the Great Barrier Reefs that harms its fragile ecosystem. The sediments that flow out from rivers and large amounts of erosion carry with it many of the pollutants and fertilizers from the farms inland from the reefs.The last but not the least threat is over fishing which also causes the major impact on the destruction of the coral reefs.