The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the seven wonders of the world. It is believed to be one of the most amazing places on this earth. This coral reef is the largest living organism on this planet and the only living thing on earth visible from space (2011). The warm waters of the southwestern Pacific Ocean are the perfect environments to create the largest coral reef system in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is in such pristine condition that it has been listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure its beauty is maintained for many travelers and tourists (Edgar 2010 ). Due to the complexity of this natural phenomenon, human practices have led to ecological problems for the reef, but conservation efforts can provide future generations with the ability to learn about and experience one of the world's largest oceanic coral ecosystems. located just off the coast of Australia. This marine park extends over 1800 miles and almost parallels the coast of Queensland (2011). The reef extends over a distance of 65 km wide and reaches 15 to 150 km offshore (2011). At just 500,000 years old, the Great Barrier Reef is a relatively young structure. Even younger is the current structure of the reef, which is less than 8,000 years old (Edgar 2010). The formation of the Great Barrier Reef is very complex. Coral reefs began to form in the region between approximately 58 and 48 million years ago, when the Coral Sea basin formed (Briney 2010). However, once the Australian continent moved to its current position, sea levels began to change and coral reefs began to grow quite rapidly, changing the climate and sea levels. This consequently led them to… middle of paper… populations, some countries invested in fish farming or aquaculture, but some controversies followed from this practice. Studies have shown that fish farms are not useful for supporting native fish and have instead harmed them. There are two main types of aquaculture: onshore and offshore. These farms, often due to overcrowded tanks, cause epidemics of deadly diseases. One example is pop eye, an eye infection that causes swelling of the eyes. In offshore farms, domesticated fish often escape through faulty, poor-quality nets, infecting native fish populations. Alternatively, offshore farms pose a different problem. Management of these facilities is known to filter waste products from excess pure fish into the ocean. The contaminated water, also rich in nutrients, creates algae blooms and deprives the seabed of sunlight.