More than 10 percent of Australians do not know where the Great Barrier Reef is located.
Despite the natural icon being one of Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a new survey has revealed 13 percent of Aussies did not know it was off the coast of Queensland.
Researcher Jarrah Taylor, from the University of South Australia, said the findings underscored the need for a targeted public awareness campaign to address knowledge gaps about the fragile ecosystem.
Ms Taylor said the survey canvassed Australians’ perceptions of the iconic tourism drawcard and also revealed, that while most people were aware of the threats facing the world’s largest coral reef, few could name many individual species inhabiting it.
“Most participants (86.72 percent) correctly named Queensland as the home of the Great Barrier Reef, but 13 percent were either unaware of the location or named the wrong State.”
She said participants commonly identified broad groups such as fish (37 percent), reptiles (12 percent) and corals (12 percent) as occupying the Reef, and specific species like clownfish (3.9 percent), sea turtles and sharks (10 percent) were mentioned, but participants revealed limited knowledge of species at a more niche level.
Ms Taylor said the Reef’s environmental importance was recognised, with 48 percent of survey respondents citing it as a crucial habitat for various species.
She said 27 percent named it as a natural wonder of the world, 44 percent mentioning it as a major tourism drawcard, and nine percent aware of its importance to the Australian economy.
“Participants identified several threats, mostly caused by humans, including runoff, pollution and plastics (36 percent), climate change (33 percent), warming oceans (24 [percent) and coral bleaching (34 percent).
“Of the 18 threats reported by participants, only three were naturogenic; crown-of-thorns starfish, natural disasters and sea urchins.”
Download: Australians’ perceptions of species diversity of, and threats to, the Great Barrier Reef
