Coral Reef Decline

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Recommended: Destruction of coral reefs

Efforts to Combat Coral Reef Decline
Coral reefs offer one of the most important aquatic biomes, making up only 1% of the ocean floor they provide shelter for about a quarter of marine life. In the past 40 years it has been observed that coral reefs have been declining due to pollution, global warming, sedimentation, overfishing, and pathogens. These stressors mainly increase CO2 concentrations, or ocean acidification, which lowers the calcification rate of corals. Increased ocean temperatures and excess CO2, leaves reefs prone to algae invasion and disease. However, restoration of these important habitats is possible, one of the greatest examples of ocean conservation happened on the east coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Where …show more content…

• After fourteen years of protection, every group of fish had returned to Cabo Pulmo, from the small herbivores to top predators. (Feurstein, n.d)
• Success due to community involvement, protected area size, fishing eradication. (Feurstein, n.d)
• Unclear how slow-growing top predators recovered in such a short period, research indicates that they probably didn’t grow up in Cabo Pulmo, however it does provide a sanctuary for migrating animals from other regions in search of plentiful food sources on healthy coral habitat
• Various stressors have contributed to the lessening resilience of reefs by increasing coral-algae competition; therefore reducing coral recruitment, growth and survivorship (Zaneveld et. al, 2016).

• Dark Spot Syndrome was the most prevalent disease, nutrient enrichment increased DSS Prevalence >100% in the most common coral S. sidera. (Vega, Burkepile, Fuchs, Shantz, & Zaneveld, …show more content…

Most of the stressors affecting coral reefs are anthropogenic, originating from human activity. Notably, stressors such as overfishing and nutrient pollution contribute by reducing the resilience of the reefs by increasing coral-algal competition and reducing coral recruitment, growth and survival (Zaneveld et. al, 2016). A field experiment conducted over the course of three years, simulated overfishing and nutrient pollution yielded an increase in turf and macroalgal cover while destabilizing microbiomes, elevating putative pathogen loads. Together, stressors and temperature combine to alter coral microbiomes by driving bacterial blooms. Yielding an increase in disease by more than twofold and increased mortality up to eight fold. (Zaneveld et. al,

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