The Global Reef

Each day, the Great Barrier Reef is subjected to ever changing weather patterns. Ocean currents arrive from the Coral Sea in the East, bringing nutrients up from the deep ocean and splitting at the wall of coral on the edge of the continental shelf. Trade winds arrive from the east, occasionally spiralling into violent cyclones that batter coral reefs leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. In this section, we'll explore the weather and climate patterns which shape and impact the reef, and we'll discover how one reef in particular is a shining example of just how resilient reef ecosystems can be — at the wreck of the SS Yongala.