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Various effects of global warming on coral reefs
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“The more we heat up the planet, the more it costs all of us, not just in money, but in colossal famines, displacements, deaths, and species extinctions, as well as in the loss of some of the things that make this planet a blue-green jewel, including its specialized habitats from the melting Arctic to bleaching coral reefs” (Solnit). There are many coral reefs in different oceans around the world and they are protected in different ways. Coral Reef destruction is a huge problem and while countries are conserving reefs differently, the best way to conserve them is to have marine protected areas because it allows the habitat to reconstruct itself naturally. 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. Marine Protected areas help our oceans to rejuvenate themselves naturally and strongly improve the oceans marine life health. Areas where the marine life is protected, allows it to grow and multiply in population and diversity. Coral reefs in the flower banks garden are in good condition today due to conservation efforts but without them they would be losing health rapidly, and we would lose many important spawnin... ... middle of paper ... ...orthwest Hawaiian Islands are remote and uninhabited allowing for monitoring short term and long term evidence of the declining health of coral reefs. The habitat restoration and conservation methods used here can be monitored to determine how they affect the ecosystems health. Main Hawaiian Islands Palau Guam Federated States of Micronesia Marshall Islands American Samoa Works Cited "Marine Protected Areas." Ocean Conservancy. Ocean Conservancy, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. . "NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program." NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. National Ocean Service, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. Solnit, Rebecca. "Invasion of the Democracy Crushers." Tomdispatch.com. Tomgram, 24 Oct. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. "Threats." NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program:. US Department of Commerce, 17 May 2011. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
Nowlis, J., Roberts, C., Smith, A., and Siirila, E., 1997, Human Enhanced Impacts of a Tropical Storm on Nearshore Coral Reefs: Ambio, v. 26, no. 8, p. 515-521.
Baker, Andrew c. “Climate change and coral reef bleaching: An ecological assessment of long-Term impacts, recovery trends and future outlook.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Academic Press, 17 Sept. 2008, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771408003405.
Smith, V. & Buddemeier, W. (1992). Global change and coral ecosystems . Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst, 23, 89-118.
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.
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.
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 limited to where they live. Most live in the narrow band of the equator, as they need light, the shallow near shore areas is where most coral reefs can be found. Their biological riches, though, hold value far beyond their beauty. After tropical rain forests, coral reefs may be the most biologically diverse ecosystem, holding a substantial portion of the basics of life on the planet. They form what is thought to be the most species rich ecosystem in the oceans, the crucible of life some 3,000,000,000 years ago. Covering just 0.17% of the ocean floor, an area the size of Texas, coral reefs are home to perhaps one –quarter of all marine species, earning them the title “the tropical rain forests of the Oceans.”
Although there are many uncertain factor in the study of coral reefs, what we can sure is that the diversity and the quantity of Great Barrier Reef is decreasing under the global warming. No matter coral reefs’ future is more serious or it is optimistic, global warming’s effect on coral reefs is negative, especially for Great Barrier Reef. Disregard of coral reefs’ protection on coastal, there are still million of people relying on the tourism or other aspects of Great Barrier Reef. Contemplating policies that result in [CO2]atm above 500 ppm appears extremely risky for coral reefs and the tens of millions of people who depend on them directly, even under the most optimistic circumstances(Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007). People have to take action to stop the steps of global warming. There are many experts predict the future of coral reefs without human action, for example: Without the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations, it seems inevitable that many of the world’s coral reefs will become nonaccreting habitats—they will, based on most common definitions, cease to be coral reefs(Mark 2015; Barbara 2015); Eakin :Unless there is concerted action to reduce greenhouse gases,” he warns, “bleaching will become increasingly common and not just during extraordinary weather events”(Dennis
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.
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
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.
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).
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a
Corals the rainforests of the sea. Corals’ and rainforests are very important to the world because they have a very important function. Carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, the carbon dioxide then forms a week acid called carbonic acid this acid in it called carbonic iron, which stays in the carbon carbonate. This acid cannot make limestone but dose dissolve in ready-formed limestone and the reefs need it to produce limestone. Rainforests give out oxygen. Corals are like rainforest in the sea with al the reefs and animals. Corals are also compared with cities because they are like cities the fish are like people and the corals are homes to the fish.
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.