The Effects of Global Warming On Coral Reefs
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Introduction:
The effects of global warming touch every human, animal, plant, ocean, landmass, and atmosphere level on this planet. The numerous effects of global warming are mixes of "good" and "bad" results, depending on how your definition of "good" results and "bad" results are. A "good" effect, a person could say, would be for regions with normally cold temperatures to receive warmer temperatures for their normal. Yet, there are more "bad" effects that seem to out weight the "good" effects. Some of the effects would include increases of flooding, severe storm systems, and rising sea-levels. One major consequence would be an increase of temperature globally. This would give a chain reaction that would change temperatures and precipitation within many ecosystems. Which could cause a possible alteration in migration routes of various animals or produce permanent damage to creatures and their habitats, or worse, result in extinction for sensitive organisms that cannot handle the change. An example of a sensitive organism is the coral reef. This vital creature serves as a home, feeding area, and shelter for many fish, plants, and animals living in the shallow water domain. The degradation by global warming of this essential species is discussed more in-depth below.
Bleaching of Coral Reefs
When coral reefs are thought of, warm images of vibrant multi-colored creatures and corals emerge from our imaginations. Mental pictures of a bustling biodiversity of animals, invertebrates, and plants congregate around the coral reef that acts as a glue holding together the shallow waters of the underwater realm. Yet, many of the worlds most beautiful and important coral re...
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...blic about the bleaching of corals. Its our problem, we need to create a solution or the colors of the ocean may be fading away as we speak.
Works Cited
Australia Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). "What is coral bleaching?" 2002. http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/research/coral-bleaching/coral-bleaching.html (3 Feb. 2003).
Dennis, Carina. "Reef under threat from 'bleaching' outbreak." Nature, 415. 28 February 2002: 947. January 25, 2003. http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v415/n6875/full/ 415947a_fs.html.
Houghton, John. 1994. Global Warming The Complete Briefing. Elgin, Illinois: Lion Publishing.
Wilkinson, Clive. "The 1997-1998 mass bleaching event around the world." Status of coral reefs of the world: 1998. 1998: Chapter 1. February 4, 2003. http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/research/coral-bleaching/scr1998/scr-00.html.
Sweatman, H, Delean, S, & Syms, C 2011, 'Assessing loss of coral cover on Australia's Great Barrier Reef over two decades, with implications for longer-term trends', Coral Reefs, 30, 2, p. 521-531, Scopus®, EBSCOhost, viewed 28 April 2014.
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.
Leading scientists advise climate change will cause increases to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Rising sea levels pose a significant risk to coastal communities, while the world’s oceans could become too acidic to support coral reefs and other calcifying marine organisms. Coral reefs contain only six per cent of the area of the Great Barrier Reef, yet they provide critical habitat and food for numerous species in the ecosystem. However, climate change has already impacted coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef as corals are very helpless against its potential impacts. Eight mass coral bleaching events has occurred since 1979, triggered by unusually high water temperatures. And because of this, zooxanthellae (photosynthetic algae) leave their tissues and corals will have no more colours hence ‘bleaching’. Without the zooxanthellae, the corals that remain gradually starve to death. Once the coral dies, fish and a multitude of other marine species are soon affected. Rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storm surges will see more erosion of Australia’s coastline, causing community and residential
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
Coral bleaching can be caused when coral is stressed by many things including pollution, overexposure to sunlight and extreme low tides however, it primarily occurs when corals are stressed due to unusually high sea temperatures (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2015). Unusually high temperatures cause coral 's colourful, symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) to separate from the coral leaving it to appear white (De 'ath, Fabricius, Sweatman & Puotinen, 2012; Baker, Glynn & Riegl, 2008). Coral bleaching is not isolated to one select reef, but rather many reefs all around the world. Mass coral bleaching has become more widespread and frequent over the recent decades, often resulting in high mortality rates (Pandolfi, Connolly, Marshall
Coral bleaching is when the tiny algae that lives in the coral which causes it to be bright and colourful, gets so stressed out when the water temperature exceeds the limit that it can handle, which then makes the algae
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 said to be the “tropical rainforest” of the sea. They are home to over 25% of all marine life (http://coralreefalliance.org.stories/storyReader$77). Over the past few decades they have been subjected to destructive anthropogenic practices. Some of the major threats to coral reefs include sedimentation, water pollution, harmful recreational activities, and global warming. All of these things cause stress on corals and can potentially cause mortality. Corals are made up of two parts, a polyp and zooxanthellae. A polyp is a calcerous body that grows from a hard part of the ocean floor. Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic algae which lives in the polyp and provide energy for themselves and the coral. In many cases, corals undergo “bleaching,” which is a process where corals lose the zooxantheallae or chlorophyll pigment, and turn white (Wilkinson et all). After bleaching corals can survive for several months. It is possible for corals to recover by hosting more zooxantheallae, but it can take between 5 and 50 years for them to recover completely (Wilkinson et all, 1999).
Coral bleaching is exactly what you're envisioning now in your head, white bleached out coral reefs which is far different from the colorful lively structures you're used to. Corals get their brilliant
This website gives a large historical overlook and possible conclusion to the issue of coral reef bleaching. Since the 1980’s episodes of coral reef bleaching and death have occurred almost every year in one or more of the world's tropical or subtropical seas. Bleaching happens in episodes, with the most severe typically accompanying coupled ocean–atmosphere phenomena. Bleaching episodes have resulted in loss of coral
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).
Global warming and the greenhouse effect are issues discussed by scientists all the time. A natural process that keeps earths temperature at a livable rate is called the greenhouse effect. The energy from the sun warms up the earth when the rays from the sun are absorbed by greenhouse gasses. The gasses then become trapped in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide are the most common greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gases cause the radiant heat of the sun to be trapped in the Earths lower atmosphere which causes global warming. If there weren’t any greenhouse gasses, the earth would be really cold due to very little sun rays being absorbed on the earth. Global warming can and will lead to several problems that affect the environment in which we humans live in. These problems can lead to warmer temperatures all around the world, it can endanger animals and the wildlife, and it can lead to widespread flooding from the glaciers melting. Here are a few more future effects that I will discuss in more detail about. Damage to human health, Severe stress on forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats, how fish will be affected. Global warming is a serious problem that will affect our generation when we are older.
Of all the effects of global warming, the extreme weather that is taking place all over the world is the most obvious one. Global warming will bring more heat waves, drought, fiercer wildfires and stronger hurricanes. “This intensification of weather and climate extremes will be the most visible impact of global warming in our everyday lives” (75 yrs NWF). Due to rising temperatures, places everywhere will be affected as we get more extremely hot summer days and lesser winters. In addition, as these rising temperatures shifts the cycle of rain and increases evaporation, there will be longer and drier droughts which in turn can lower the water supply for life everywhere. Wildfires can turn out to be even more catastrophic due to warmer temperatures and drier areas combined with accumulated levels of fuel loads in the forest which has built up as a result of decades of fire suppression activities. Moreover, stronger hurricanes are also an effect of global warming as sea levels are rising and heavier rains are falling near the coasts. Overall, global warming is bringing climates that are changing real fast.
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a
If there is an increase in the rate of global warming it will have serval effects on us humans and animals in fact the whole environment will be effected by it for example rise in the sea level which will cause lots of marine animals to die due to their loss in their food source or increase in the greenhouse gas concentration which will Increase Earth's average temperature, Reduce ice and snow cover which will cause the polar animals to die because of the change in temperature, as well as permafrost, Increase the acidity of the oceans which will make the water ph unsuitable for the marine life.