Thesis: When an artificial reef is made many just see trash going into the sea, however there are positive benefits that come from the making of the reef.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of an artificial reef is the creation of a new community for aquatic creatures to live. It is like a developer going out to sea and making a new subdivision out there for fish. This creation of an artificial reef is the most natural way to protect the marine habitat, by providing shelter, a source of food, and an area for mating and reproduction for a numerous amount of creatures. The reason this is so important is because a given area of water can only support so many marine creatures, none of these creatures can live in mid-water where there is neither shelter nor food. Shelter is needed for resting, mating, caring for young, and many other reasons. Food is also a big deal here, because it turns into an all you can eat buffet at the reef. Now the fish instead of having to swim all over the ocean can now go one stop shopping. This is kind of like a Shoney’s underwater for all the organisms involved. These artificial reefs take a lot of the human pressures off the existing natural reefs, this also usually leads to the natural reef becoming national marine sanctuaries. This all sounds like these reefs are just placed recklessly, but every type of organism is taken into consideration. Some of these include existing coral reefs, beds of aquatic grasses, oyster reefs, scallop beds, existing live bottoms, and habitats of endangered species just to name a few. For the unfinned organisms these artificial structures are needed for the formation of coral. This very important coral cannot grow on sand, so it needs a solid surface to grip onto in o...
... middle of paper ...
...e have followed suit and it is occurring more rapidly now due to increased awareness and collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency. Now any old metal structure such as boats, plains, trains, oil rigs, or even steel bars is thoroughly checked out by the EPA. After it is cleared, it can now be sunk or dropped to the bottom of the sea. Oil rigs have their own new environmentally friendly way of being decommissioned. Instead of detaching the top of the rig from the bottom and tugging it to shore, the EPA just come out to the site, clears it, and then it is dropped into the water on the spot. The oil company in which the rig belongs to then in turn puts the amount of money that it would of cost to bring the rig back into an account for an environmental agency. This money is then used to keep the whole recycling process going or to replenish wild life areas.
In this short essay Bill Daly begins by telling us that he will be assessing arguments to keep marine parks open and he will be point out reasons why they actually don’t carry any weight. The overall conclusion that daily made in this essay was that marine parks should no longer be kept open because they are useless and in some ways can be considered to be animal cruelty or no new animals should be captured for their uses. In the essay I found that there were four major premises that can clearly be found. The first major premises can be found in the second paragraph, where it says that ‘there are many more locations where the marine life can be found naturally compared to marine parks’ (Bill Daly, para 2). The second premise was located in the third paragraph, where the Daly tells us the ‘by moving the marine life out of its natural habitat we are affecting their behaviour and making any research that is conducted on them unreliable when it comes to their natural behaviour’ (para 3). The third major premise that I found was in the fourth paragraph, where it says that the ‘parks could be considered tourist attractions but a majority of tourists come to see wildlife in its natural habitat and not in cages’ (para 4). The fourth and final premise that I found was in the fifth paragraph, in this paragraph Daly says that ‘the parks can be cruel to the animals they hold because they put a restriction the freedom they would normally have in the wild’ (para 5). In the end I believe that Daly has created a good inductive argument against the use and creation of marine parks.
Earth, an endless source of wonder and beauty, produced the Great Barrier Reef. Hustling and bustling, the Reef thrives like a busy city, teeming with life. Sheltering thousands, corals, maintain the well-being of the Reef; however, the world threatens its nature and delicacy. Populations growing and technological advances increasing, the world becomes more and more disconnected with the natural world, posing an alarming risk for the planet we live on. Although many organizations try to keep the oceans clean, because of human interference and unnatural occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef needs scientific help to adapt corals to new conditions for means of survival, putting pressure on the Australian government to save their ocean environment.
Offshore oil drilling has had so many issues recently. It is time to put a stop to it before we completely poison our oceans. So much environmental damage has occurred from this act. The actions being Many people do not support it and think that we need to protect our oceans.
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
Believe it or not the current pop culture surrounding the reef is environmental protection. This mean that people are trying to protect and cleanse the reef of toxic waste and such. And the reason that comes to mind as to why they are protecting the reef is because they would want to preserve such a mythical place from the bottom of their
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.
In 1995, an important event marked a victory for the national GreenPeace organization, and for humans alike. The Brent Spar oil installation was not allowed to be dumped into the ocean. The importance of this decision lied in the fact that there were over 600 oil installations that would someday expire just as the Brent Spar had. When the decision was made to not allow the dumping, it set a precident that the other installations would not be allowed to be dumped, either.
Butler,James N., et al. “The Bermuda Fisheries: a tragedy of the commons averted?” Environment Jan-Feb/1993/pg6+
Some ways to help our coral reefs are conserve water: The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans. Help reduce pollution: Walk, bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs. Research what you put on your lawn: Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life. Dispose of your trash properly: Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish. Support reef-friendly businesses: Ask the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef. Be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort. Plant a tree: Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet and the rising temperatures of our oceans. Practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling: Do not touch the reef or anchor your boat on the reef. Contact with the coral will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill it, so look for sandy bottom or use moorings if available. Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup: You don't live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth. Contact your government representatives: Demand they take action
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).
The Great barrier reef has had many recent hardships, including water pollutants and the increasing water temperature. Although it may be too late to save this particular reef we the people must not be so nearsighted to the
A statistic released by the Marine Science Education Project of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education States that “…Reefs subject to land-based pollution (sewage, sedimentation, and or industrial pollution) show 30–50% reduced diversity at 3 m, and 40–60% reduced diversity at 10 m depth relative to unpolluted comparison reefs in each region.” This statistic is alarming because it shows just how much pollution can affect a certain environment. Not only does it affect the environment but it also affects animals, plants and people.
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
These reefs provide a house for many species. If the coral reefs were to become
A coral reef is scientifically defined as limestone ridges that are created out of coral animals. These types of tiny animals are called coral polyps. Overtime, coral polys produce and accumulate into limestone. Inside the cracks and chinks of the limestone reside thousands of species. Since there are so many diverse species that live in the limestone, coral reefs make up some of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth. These ecosystems can only function in clear, warm salt water, which is usually located in tropical regions. These reefs are usually located in shallow waters so that they are close to the surface. They are situated in this environment so that there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis which is important for the growth and development of the reefs.