Imagine living in paradise where the sky is blue, the ocean is a beautiful light blue color and the coral reef is filled with magnificent colors and it is healthy as can be. That's how the coral used to be but because of us humans now, the coral is bleached and it is close to dying. Coral reefs play a very important role in the marine life community. If the coral reefs die, then that mess with the food chain for everyone. This research paper will be talking about the background on coral bleaching, the effects of coral bleaching, and solutions for coral bleaching.
Coral Bleaching is when the coral is stressed. The corals are stressed because the ocean temperatures are changing. Ocean temperatures affect the coral because the coral is
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Global warming is when the earth's temperature rises because of greenhouse gases, greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the ozone. Climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs around the world, it has been proven that the global temperature has risen 1.3 degrees since the 19th century. In order for coral reefs to grow, they need limestone and algae. Algae is a nutrient in the water that prevents coral from turning white, but because of the rise in temperature the coral gets stressed and expels its algae which turns the coral white. The reason we have global warming is because we as humans are not picking up after ourselves and we are using fossil fuels that are polluting the air which causes global warming and heats our earth and its …show more content…
It has been proven that the temperature has risen 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is still continuing to rise. Since the water's temperature is too warm it can affect the corals polyps,causing the coral to lose algae that lives in the polyp’s tissue. The increased carbon dioxide in the air is starting to show that it is affecting the coral because one third of the ocean absorbs the atmosphere’s excess carbon dioxide.
Sunscreen is not always the greatest because it is one of the causes of coral bleaching. The reason sunscreen is a threat is because there is this one chemical it carries that is very harmful for the reefs and it can't fight it off. About 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enter coral reef areas around the world each year. Scientist push consumers to buy sunscreen that does not contain oxybenzone and instead invest in long sleeve rash guards to prevent the use of sunscreen because coral reefs are a big part in our community.
Overfishing is also a reason why the coral reefs are turning white. There are fishing techniques that include explosives so when you explode an object in the water, it will disrupt the coral and will explode into pieces. About 55% of the world's coral reefs are threatened by overfishing and destructive
Climate change has been affecting coral reefs in a negative way. If the climate continues to get warmer more of our coral reef become bleached, the structure of the reefs will become weak, and algae that keeps coral healthy will die. In the essay, “A framework for understanding Climate change impacts on Coral Reefs” by Joshua Clinner (2016), he emphasizes our climate change has become one of the long-term threats to coral reef. The article “Climate change and human impacts are damaging the world’s coral reefs”, which didn’t include an author (2001), states that the sea temperatures throughout the tropics has increased dramatically leaving much of the coral unhealthy. Spencer Hall (2008), discussed in his article “Coral Reefs and Climate Change”, how the increase in climate change puts a lot of stress on coral reefs because they are very sensitive to the change of temperature. Rigel B (2003) states in his essay, “Climate Change and Coral Reefs”, that coral reef has already been negatively impacted by
Global warming is a scientific, political, and controversial topic. Some believe it is catastrophic, a slow moving killer hiding in the shadows. Others do not even think twice about it as they race by in a Hummer. Global warming is the gradual increase of temperature throughout different climates. It is caused by the greenhouse gas effect in which greenhouse gases, like methane and carbon dioxide, reflect sunlight back and forth. This reflected ultraviolet light bounces between the earth and the ozone layer and becomes trapped, resulting in a gradual rise of temperature. Over time, the slow rise of temperature causes new climates throughout the globe. The article “What Megablazes Tell Us About the Fiery Future of Climate Change” by Tim Dickinson
Leading scientists advise climate change will cause increases to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Rising sea levels pose a significant risk to coastal communities, while the world’s oceans could become too acidic to support coral reefs and other calcifying marine organisms. Coral reefs contain only six per cent of the area of the Great Barrier Reef, yet they provide critical habitat and food for numerous species in the ecosystem. However, climate change has already impacted coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef as corals are very helpless against its potential impacts. Eight mass coral bleaching events has occurred since 1979, triggered by unusually high water temperatures. And because of this, zooxanthellae (photosynthetic algae) leave their tissues and corals will have no more colours hence ‘bleaching’. Without the zooxanthellae, the corals that remain gradually starve to death. Once the coral dies, fish and a multitude of other marine species are soon affected. Rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storm surges will see more erosion of Australia’s coastline, causing community and residential
Bleaching is when the ocean water become too warm, “corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality.” (Cave and Gillis). When a coral bleaches, it is more of like a self defense mode, which makes it turn white. The coral loses its food source as well. The downfall of this is that without the cooler waters, the corals could die of starvation or disease. Cooler waters from below can help a bleached coral bounce back to its natural state. However, if the water stays too warm for an extended period of time, “the corals don't just bleach, they cook and they die very quickly,.” (Westcott). Throughout time, much of the corals near Cairns and northward have lost the most corals. Hughes states that, “near Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef has lost 47 percent to 83 percent of their coral and as you go northward, the Great Barrier Reef has lost 11percent to 35 percent of its corals.” (Cave and Gillis). In another report, “a study last year found the largest die off of corals ever recorded with about 67 per cent of shallow water coral found dead in a survey of a 700km stretch.” (Johnston). In 2016 and 2017, there were back to back bleaching events. According to CNN reports, “back to back bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 have devastated a 1,500 km (900 miles) stretch of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.” (Westcott). Before the 2016 bleaching event of the Great Barrier Reef, there have only been two bleaching events, 1998 and 2002. According the Hughes, “only 9 percent of the reef has avoided bleaching since 1998.” (Cave and Gillis). That means that over 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by coral bleaching at least once in the past 19 years.
Coral bleaching is when the tiny algae that lives in the coral which causes it to be bright and colourful, gets so stressed out when the water temperature exceeds the limit that it can handle, which then makes the algae
Coral reefs around the world are in danger. One of the causes is global warming, which has been increasing the temperature of the ocean water resulting in coral bleaching. This essay will focus on damage occurring to the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral Reefs are said to be the “tropical rainforest” of the sea. They are home to over 25% of all marine life (http://coralreefalliance.org.stories/storyReader$77). Over the past few decades they have been subjected to destructive anthropogenic practices. Some of the major threats to coral reefs include sedimentation, water pollution, harmful recreational activities, and global warming. All of these things cause stress on corals and can potentially cause mortality. Corals are made up of two parts, a polyp and zooxanthellae. A polyp is a calcerous body that grows from a hard part of the ocean floor. Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic algae which lives in the polyp and provide energy for themselves and the coral. In many cases, corals undergo “bleaching,” which is a process where corals lose the zooxantheallae or chlorophyll pigment, and turn white (Wilkinson et all). After bleaching corals can survive for several months. It is possible for corals to recover by hosting more zooxantheallae, but it can take between 5 and 50 years for them to recover completely (Wilkinson et all, 1999).
Imagine a lush underwater place. Beautiful structures colorful animals and places that would never have been thought of before. In reality that's not what it really looks like, really the ocean is a desolate place that is barren like a desert. Many marine species have been lost by as much as 49%.(seeker) A big part of that reason is because of coral bleaching which causes as stated above a decline in species that depend on the coral as there home. Coral bleaching is a serious problem that could cause problems for everyone if we don’t fix it.
Rates of coral calcification on the Great Barrier Reef and many other reef systems around the world have declined by 15-20% since 1990 due to increasing thermal stress (De’ath 2012). It has already been mentioned that the oceans absorb almost all of the excess heat from climate change. This affects coral reef systems in what is known as coral bleaching. The term bleaching refers to the loss of corals’ colors. A coral’s color is the result of the zooxanthellae present.
This article discusses how important the organisms symbiotic with coral reefs are, as well as how important coral reefs are to our environment. Also explained is how natural and non natural things things like hurricanes and overfishing affects them. A study is quoted about how water acidity also plays a role in the bleaching of corals. Lastly, restoration and conservation efforts are discussed and how we could possibly help our oceans.
Coral reefs are well known for their colorful array of marvelous sights including a parade of exotic flora and fauna. They are said to be the foundation for a quarter of marine species, and are a crucial support for human life as well. The coral reef ecosystem is a diverse collection of species (ranging from microscopic to larger-than-life in size) that interact with each other and their physical environment. If any piece of a coral reef is harmed or removed the entire community can be seriously affected, even to the point of collapse. Unfortunately, human impact has resulted in long-term stresses that, unlike the short-term stress of natural disasters, coral reefs are not as capable to recover from. “Approximately half of the world’s coral reef ecosystem resources are considered by scientists to be in 'poor' or 'fair' condition and have declined over time due to several anthropogenic threats” (“Status of Corals” par. 2). Through poorly administered commercial practices, carelessness and ignorance among the common people, and human aggravated natural processes coral reef destruction has become a serious issue afflicting the world’s biodiversity and it’s intricate biosphere mechanics (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” 1) (“What Are Coral Reefs?” 1).
Global warming and the greenhouse effect are issues discussed by scientists all the time. A natural process that keeps earths temperature at a livable rate is called the greenhouse effect. The energy from the sun warms up the earth when the rays from the sun are absorbed by greenhouse gasses. The gasses then become trapped in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide are the most common greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gases cause the radiant heat of the sun to be trapped in the Earths lower atmosphere which causes global warming. If there weren’t any greenhouse gasses, the earth would be really cold due to very little sun rays being absorbed on the earth. Global warming can and will lead to several problems that affect the environment in which we humans live in. These problems can lead to warmer temperatures all around the world, it can endanger animals and the wildlife, and it can lead to widespread flooding from the glaciers melting. Here are a few more future effects that I will discuss in more detail about. Damage to human health, Severe stress on forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats, how fish will be affected. Global warming is a serious problem that will affect our generation when we are older.
Global Warming is a condition caused by greenhouse gases and human activities. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases due to activities such as deforestation and fossil fuel burning is causing the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans to warm up. As a result of this, global warming has some serious effects in the shape of extreme weather, species extinctions, and rising sea levels. These effects can contribute to the changes that are taking place all over the world, most of which are dangerous enough to pose a threat to the survival of life on Earth in the future.
Coral reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper, I will discuss a few of them. First of all, they house a collection of diverse organisms, and contribute to fisheries which provide food items such as fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Furthermore, coral skeletons are being used as bone substitutes in reconstructive bone surgery and may be able to provide important medicine, including anti-cancer drugs and a compound that blocks ultra-violet rays, they even help reduce global warming by taking carbon dioxide out of the air. These reefs provide a habitat for many species.
Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth's climate. While it changes the Earth’s climate it takes away different species that we depend on and some which other species depend on and also effect (in a bad way) the environment in which we live and can cause permanent damages to humans, animals, plant which will change the whole chain of ecosystem.