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destruction of coral reefs
the effect of climate change on coral reefs
the effect of climate change on coral reefs
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Recommended: destruction of coral reefs
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a few of them. First of all, they houses a collection of diverse organisms, and contribute 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 house for many species. If the coral reefs were to become extinct than future generations would not have the benefits that theses animals have to offer, such as possible medicines, pest control, and carbon dioxide control.
Fisheries are also contributed by corals and if they were eliminated would reduce the food source greatly. By not preserving corals, we are taking food directly out of our grandchildren's mouths.
With the technology that is rapidly being discovered, we learn more and more about what we can do with bone structure and hard corals. Right now we are doing restructuring procedures and learning that bone tissue and blood vessels spread into the coral graft and eventually bone replaces most of the coral implant. Think about what could happen in the future, what future generations could do to improve bone structure disabilities. The possibilities are endless.
There is evidence that suggests coral reefs could potentially provide important medicines, including anti-cancer drugs and a compound that blocks out UV rays. Do we really want to take that opportunity away from our descendants? With the ozone layer depleting more and more each day they are going to need all the protection they need from the sun's harmful rays. Possibly a cure for cancer, and people are treating these living organisms like they are nothing. Maybe if there was more education people wouldn't take the subject so lightly.
These organisms not only provide protection from ultra-violet rays they also help slow down the depletion of the ozone layer by taking carbon dioxide out of the air.
The last reason I have as to why these precious resources should be protected is that
Being a responsible citizen of the planet can do a lot to protect the environment, and that includes the ocean and its coral reefs.
Humans have a very large effect on the ecosystems of coral reefs. Sensitivity of coral reefs causes them to be more susceptible to harmful anthropogenic practices. Some of these are sedimentation, global warming, recreational activities, poison fishing, blast fishing practices, water pollution, and coral mining. All of these very different practices can effectively end up with the same results; the mortality of coral reefs around the world. Coral reefs are an important ecosystem of the world, and support many different industries and millions of people.
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, which are underwater structures created by calcium carbonate secretions, are some of the richest interdependent ecosystems on Earth. According to Wikipedia, coral reefs occupy less than 0.1% of Earth’s ocean surface, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species. Often referred to as the “rainforests of the ocean,” coral reefs are home to thousands upon thousands of species of plants and animals (“Coral Reef”). Not only are they an important part of ocean environments, but coral reefs are also extremely important and beneficial to humans; these reefs protect shorelines and provide countless people with food, jobs, and income sources. However, coral reefs are disappearing at an extremely alarming rate. From overfishing to pollution to sedimentation, the world’s coral reefs are in grave danger and humans must actively work to protect and restore these oceanic rainforests.
Coral reef destruction happens for many reasons. The primary reasons include climate change, unsustainable fishing, and pollution (“Threats”). As the temperature increases the amount of coral bleaching and the spread of diseases will increase as well. The CO2 absorbed into the ocean reduces the amount of coral building. Using bottom-contact gear to fish could directly damage the coral reefs and bottom trawling creates the worst damages where it is allowed. Disease affecting the corals has become a problem recently as well as aquatic invasive species. Coral reef destruction is seen in all the oceans where coral reefs are present, some are restoring better than others.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to a remarkable number of organisms. The coral itself is made up of the skeletons of tiny, flowerlike water animals called polyps, held together by a limestone substance produced by a type of algae. Hundreds...
Coral reefs are a highly sensitive ecosystem. Even the slightest changes in the environment, such as pH fluxes and temperature rises, result in catastrophic events including coral bleaching. The Belize Barrier Reef and the Great Barrier Reef are two reefs that have experienced the most severe coral bleaching. This detrimental not only to the fish which depend on the coral, but to the economies of the surrounding countries which thrive on various water-related tourist attractions. With the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases, this trend only seems to be on the rise unless something is done to reverse it. Corals may be able to adapt to these stresses over time, but the real solution comes from lowering human carbon and other greenhouse gas output. If this is accomplished, the environment may be able to bounce back and flourish.
The importance of coral reefs to the ecosystem can not be overstated. Coral reefs are a
Coral reefs can be found in shallow and deep waters and are one of the most diverse ecosystems. They are home to many and most of the marine organisms in the ocean. Most of these ecosystems are at risk however due to the rising temperatures of the oceans. Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years, and are currently increasing at ~1–2°C per century (Ove Hoegh. 1999). Because of this increase in temperatures, the future of our worlds coral reefs are in danger and at risk to things like coral bleaching, effects of rising ocean acidification levels and the effects from sea levels rising.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to billions of colorful corals, sponges, fish, and “supports a quarter of all marine species” (Becatoros, “Scientist are Racing…”). One example is sea turtles, who use the reefs shore as grounds for reproduction. Without a healthy reef, there is a high chance that sea turtles will go extinct. Similarly, the reef provides a space for
Located in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide priceless resources to both human and marine life. The leading natural cause of destruction among the coral reefs is global warming. Other natural causes are earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons. The destruction to the coral reefs from these natural disasters is minimal compared to the dangers caused by man. Man-made destruction has a much wider impact on the health of the coral reefs. This destruction includes over-fishing, damage from anchors, aquarium industry, overgrowth of seaweed, and being smothered by sediments.
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
The corals use these products to make proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and produce calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate is what the coral uses to make its hard skeleton. The coral reefs of the world are of vast importance because they host 25% of all marine life on the planet.
The Great Barrier Reef is an exemplary model of the famous exotic coral reef seen in a copy of the National Geographic or the popular animated film Finding Nemo. Located on the coast of Australia, it is known as the “largest biological organism in the world” (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” par. 1). The idea bears that coral reefs are again not an assortment of organisms functioning separately but rather working together to thrive. The groups of coral that are seen in t...
Today many people do not see the need to preserve corals reefs. Hence because of the lack of appreciation for the reefs, they are slowly disappearing. Many citizens do not realize the importance of these reefs, the species they hold, and the food webs that connect the ecosystems. Our American government has stated many times that they are doing all they can to preserve and to replenish our coral reefs. However, how accurate is that statement? To answer these questions, we first have to understand what a coral reef is and how it can be saved.