Question: what does the great barrier reef mean to australia

title: Great Barrier Reef
text: The problems that surround ecotourism in the Great Barrier Reef revolve around permanent tourism platforms . Platforms are large , ship - like vessels that act as a base for tourists while scuba diving and snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef . Seabirds will land on the platforms and defecate which will eventually be washed into the sea . The feces carry nitrogen , phosphorus and often DDT and mercury , which cause aspergillosis , yellow - band disease , and black band disease . Areas without tourism platforms have 14 out of 9,468 ( 1.1 % ) diseased corals versus areas with tourism platforms that have 172 out of 7,043 ( 12 % ) diseased corals . Tourism is a major economic activity for the region . Thus , while non-permanent platforms could be possible in some areas , overall , permanent platforms are likely a necessity . Solutions have been suggested to siphon bird waste into gutters connecting to tanks helping lower runoff that causes coral disease .