Coral Reefs and How We Can Save Them

INTRODUCTION

Coral reefs are underwater arrangements made from calcium-carbonated substances, which are released by corals. Coral reefs are gatherings of small and large organisms, which are found in marine waters that contain scarce nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps belong to group of animals’ known as Phylum Cnidaria, which in turn secrete hard carbonate exoskeletons, which support and protect their bodies. Reefs grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and agitated waters (“NOAA and CoRIS”).

Shallow water corals that live in warm water often have another source of food, the zooxanthellae. These specific single-celled algae practice a process called photosynthesis and pass a portion of their nutrients that they make from the sun’s energy to their hosts, and in return the coral animal gives nutrients to the zooxanthellae (The Ocean Portal Team). Through this form of mutual symbiotic relationship it allows shallow water corals to grow fast enough to build the enormous structures known as coral reefs. The zooxanthellae also aids in giving the coral its distinct colors.

Corals have multiple reproductive strategies – they can be male or female or both, and can reproduce either asexually or sexually. Asexual reproduction is important for increasing the size of the colony, and sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity and starts new colonies that can be far from the parents (The Ocean Portal Team).

In sexual reproduction coral larvae grow in two different ways: firstly, the larvae are fertilized within the body of a polyp or secondly outside of the body in the water. Fertilization of an egg within the body of a polyp is from exte...

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...t helps the coral reef thrive this process is known as coral bleaching. The longer time the coral is going through bleaching the less likely its colony will survive and will be susceptible to other times of threats. Meanwhile, ocean acidification means more acidic seawater, which makes it more difficult for corals to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. And if acidification gets severe enough, it could even break apart the existing skeletons that already provide the structure for reefs (Ocean Team Portal). Furthermore, there are several questions that can arise from such global events; moreover, how have these vast global climate changes impacted the coral reef ecosystem? As scientific researchers we have found that studies have shown that high ocean temperatures are closely associated to coral bleaching leading to a decline in coral reef colonies worldwide.