Aerial views of The Great Barrier Reef are seen from above on August 7, 2009, in Cairns, Australia. A recent report by marine scientist Charlie Veron claims that the reef will be so degraded by warming seas that it will be gone within 20 years, and that this situation is now irreversible. He goes on to predict that once carbon dioxide levels hit levels predicted between 2030 and 2060, that all reefs will become extinct and their ecosystems would collapse. The area pictured is also where conservation celebrity Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray. / Getty Images

CANBERRA, Australia