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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
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.
The increase in ocean temperatures are causing the reef to die out; reefs structures don’t have the ability to keep up pace with the ever so changing climate 4. Rigel suggests that coral reefs will eventually die out from the erosion of the warm ocean4. The increase in climate change is leading to ocean acidification. Much of the gases that enter our air from pollution also dissolves into the ocean. With this occurring, corals cannot absorb the calcium they need to maintain their skeletons. The stony skeletons that support coral reefs will dissolve. If nothing is done to stop so much carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere, this will increase and more and more coral reefs will be destroyed and die
Corals provide shelter for nearly one quarter of all known marine species. The reefs are home to over 4000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other forms of plant and animal life. Living coral reefs are the foundation of marine life, and this also means that they are essential for human life, but all over the world they are dead or dying because people are destroying them at a very fast rate. Already 10% have been lost, and there are predictions that 705 of all corals on the planet will be destroyed in 20 to 40 years unless people stop doing what they are doing now – i.e., pollution, sewage, erosion, cyanide fishing, bad tourism.
All over the world coral reefs play an important part in our environment. Not only are the reefs colorful and beautiful to look at but the coral reefs house several different types of fish and other sea creatures. Coral reefs have started to decline over the years due to “climate change, El Nino events, overfishing, pollution and other pressures” (Newnham 1). A healthy coral reef can also collapse due to a natural disaster (Newnham 2). There can be several different reasons why a coral reef has started to decline or has been destroyed.
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...
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.
At the Aquarium of the Pacific, many different oceanic habitats are presented. These exhibits give the public an idea of the different environments our own oceans hold, providing a hands-on learning experience in the comfort of their own city. The two habitats that interested me are the coral reef and deep ocean. Both the coral reef and deep ocean are very different from each other, having varied ways of survival for the plethora of plants and animals that call those places home.
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.
Now that corals have been briefly described we can see why the effects of climate change damage coral reef systems. Ocean acidification is one result of climate change. Acidification is caused by an increase of carbon dioxide in our oceans and leads to a decrease in the pH levels of seawaters. This pH decrease reduces the ability of corals to make their hard skeletons. 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 are absorbing almost all of the excess heat from climate change. This effects 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. When water becomes too warm the
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).
Corals reefs are the most diverse ecosystems containing over 1 million different species of corals, fish, crustaceans, and creatures alike. Many marine species that humans enjoy eating call the coral reefs home. Indigenous people of small islands often depend on coral reefs as their way to acquire food sources. With current sciences advancing, people in the medical field have turned to the coral reefs to discover cancer slowing drugs that can be extracted from many reef dwellers. If the reefs become unavailable due to die off, so will these amazing life saving drugs sealing the door to many possibilities.
Another point explicitly stated in the film was that corals didn’t really have a life expectancy. However, because of climate change, they die early. It was discovered that some corals were turning white after six months which is definitely fatal to our planet because we may witness the eradication of an entire ecosystem in our lifespan as said by Doctor Ruth Gates. In addition to this, there is a big heat wave travelling near the planet which leaves dead corals in its trail and in 25 years, all of the world’s corals wouldn’t be able to keep up with this heat and they will all eventually
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.
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.