When looking at a piece of art a sense of wonder and beauty bewitches the beholder.
What if this same sensation could be experienced underwater? not just taking in the natural
beauty of the ocean but what if one were able to experience a piece of art underwater. In Spain
there is such a place, it is called The Atlantic Museum. It is a place where one could experience
the rawest connection between nature and art. The ingenuity of this project has lead to some
concerns. Most would see this as an opportunity of a lifetime but one should beg the question if
it would beneficial to the ocean and surrounding ecosystems for over a life time? There is a high
possibility that it could harm marine life and the surrounding coastal ecosystem.
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Some questions that need to be asked are; how will the museum affect the environment? How will the environment benefit from this? What kind of long-term effects will it have on nature? All “living systems [in][the][world] are never in equilibrium.
They are inherently
unstable. They may seem stable, but they’re not. Everything is moving and changing. In a sense,
everything is on the edge of collapse” (Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park). Even though the
museum portrays a beautiful connection with art and nature, one must ask if it is really worth
doing so.
In the costal region of Spain there is a major problem concerning their few reaming coral
reefs. Today, most coral reefs around the world are dying, not producing enough life such as
coral and food to support the surrounding marine life. “According to the World’s Resources
Institute’s 2011 report, Reefs at Risk [are] at least 75% threatened…. The oceans absorbs the
increased carbon dioxide produced by our activities on land, they have become more acidic.
Rising sea temperatures [which] have caused coral bleaching”(Susan Smillie, pg1). The ocean
has tiny organisms that break down CO2 into byproducts; these organisms are called
cyanobacteria’s. Without this bacteria the oceans be come more acidic and effecting tempters
and coral reefs. The organisms “primarily consuming carbon-rich coral mucus,
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algal-associated communities harboured a high percentage of autotrophs. The majority of algal-associated autotrophic Bacteria were Cyanobacteria and may be important for nitrogen cycling on the algae”( Barott, et al, 1192) One of the main problems with the interaction between the coral reefs and Cyanobacteria are that coral reefs are becoming more endangered and dying out they are not able to convert substances such as pollutants into a CO2 enriched substance for the bacteria to feed upon. For this reason coral reefs not able to fully support marine life and its own ecosystem. For this reason, “The conservation of coral is at the forefront of many environmentalists' minds. Coral reefs make up less than a quarter of 1% of the ocean's floor. Yet they are a key source of food, income and coastal protection for around 500 million people worldwide” (Dhruti Shah, pg 1). Some other factors that have caused havoc on the costal region are hurricane damage, pollution, and human interaction with the environment. The Atlantic museum project was started in 2006 the purpose was to build artificial coral reefs. Instead of scientist coming up with a basic alternative to the problem at hand, artists were asked to join the project and were given an opportunity of a lifetime. Dr Paul Jepson said "Conservationists need to find different ways of engaging with the world. Artists should get involved in environmental matters so it is not just scientists trying to get the message out there" (Dhruti Shah, pg 1). One of the main goals of the project was to find a way to “allow the coral in the area to regenerate, giving it a greater chance of withstanding [future] hurricane [and] [human] damage” (Dhruti Shah, pg 1).
With this idea in mind the Atlantic museum was born.
“The sculptures [are] made by PH-neutral concrete, which, it is hoped, will attract algae and
marine life and give the local ecosystem a boost” (Ocean Leadership, pg1). With the help of
scientists and arts they were able to come up with statues that would be able to withstand the
elements while producing a stable environment for new coral reefs to grow.
However, when a person is first hearing about an underwater museum, the first thing that
might come to mind is how would it be beneficial to the coastal region or local marine life in that
area? It seems to have more of an effect on the economy than the ecosystem. It seem that it is
just a new way to generate money from tourists than to help the environment. “The museum off
the coast of Lanzarote is set to be submerged 12 meters under the ocean, accessible to scuba
divers and visible to glass-bottom boats” (The Local, pg1). This seems to show more of a focus
on tourists than with the problem at hand. Some scientist argued that the construction of the
project would put the natural balance of the ecosystem at risk. “Some questioned whether
the proper coastline authority had been consulted beforehand” (The Local, pg1). Without proper regulations and paper documenting the area, one can never be sure that their claim is true that the project is beneficial to coral reefs. Without official documentation this experiment has no real evidence or proof that it will benefit the local marine life and surrounding costal region. The construction of the program seems to be relying on how the ocean will heal over a long period of time. The main idea of the program is to “reduce the pressure on the natural habitat in other areas of the park by luring tourists away from existing coral reef… Fewer visitors could allow the coral in the area to regenerate” (Ocean Leadership, pg1). The statues would act as a surrogate to the remaining natural coral reef until they are healed. On concern is how these surrogate reefs are actually beneficial. The project Atlantis might actually cause more damage if it’s not effective. The short-term effects of construction are detrimental to the surrounding environment. This begs the question if its really worth the time and money of the Atlantis program. There needs to be more research done into whether the program will be beneficial to the ecosystem. At a standpoint one can see how it benefits mostly the press and tourists but it could be used as an opportunity to spread awareness about the situation if the program is not successful It shows the experience of“[a] gloriously abstract [of][the][ocean]: faces melting, chests pitted with tiny holes drilled by clams, sea urchins crawling across human necks, feeding at night” (Susan Smillie, pg1). With the intrigue of the tourist it helps create the funds and means to support the development of artificial reefs. “The project has an initial budget of $350,000 (£210,000), with a significant proportion of the funding being provided by the Mexican government. The rest has been donated by individuals and organizations with an interest in promoting the area” (Dhruti Shah, pg 1). The burden rests with the cost and how the program will manage to support itself. It could be devastating to the program if there are not enough tourists to visit the reefs. But with luck and with the help of the media, tourists, and donations the project will contain to help establish new coral reefs. With this blend of science, nature and art one can see how they came together to save and help preserve the earth. “The island is going to show the world one of its most precious secrets - the bottom of our sea” (The Local, pg1).
Rouphael, A.B. and Inglis, G.J., 1997, Impacts of Recreational Scuba Diving at Sites with Different Reef Topographies: Biological Conservation, vol. 82, no. 3, p. 329-336.
New and interesting artifacts will not only entertain old customers but will also attract new customers to the museum. For example, the National Museum of the American Indian, the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans, is known for its variety of more than 800,00 works of extraordinary aesthetic religious, and historical significance (Source
Reefs are complex and diverse habits. Perhaps one of the major and important marine biomes. Yet they are relatively a small biome, roughly about 25% of the marine species that belong to the oceans live in the coral reefs. Coral reefs are an underwater structure composed of calcium carbonated, a secretion from corals. A significant portion of the world’s coral reefs forms close to the equator along the coastlines and locate themselves around islands throughout the world. Coral reefs come in a variety of shapes, size, and color yet the coral reefs are recognized by three main types Fringe reef, Barrie reef, and Atoll. Besides being beautiful and interesting colorful ecosystem or a tour attraction, the coral reefs are an important element of our ecosystem. According to NOAA National Ocean Service Education (2008), “a coral reef serves an important element in the most diverse ecosystem on earth. From serving as a protections and shelter for many different species of fish to controlling how much carbon dioxide is produce in the ocean and finally protecting the coast from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before reaches the shore.” Lots of different sea lives rely on reefs for habitat and sources of food which including several endangered species. Yet, this world does not realize the critical importance of these coral reefs since most of the coral reefs are in trouble or dying around the world. An estimation of 30 percent of reefs is already in sever damaged. By the time we reach the year 2030, close to 6o percent of our reefs will be lost (Hughes et. al., 2003, p. 929).
Some studies have found “that atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately 383 parts per million by volume (ppmv), a level not seen in at least 650,000 years, and it is projected to increase by 0.5% per year throughout the 21st century.” (Guinotte) “This is because…the ocean absorbs about a third of fossil fuel emissions, but this amount is likely to increase to 90% in the future.” (Bralower) As a result, “the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing at a rate not seen for 65 million years, with far-reaching implications for marine biodiversity and food security, according to a new United Nations study...” (Knight) “…This change is cause for serious concern [for] many marine organisms…, [because they] may not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive these changes.” (Guinotte)
“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.
The affected area is not only a very important ecological region, supporting coral reefs and many species of sharks and birds, but it also supports the crucial fishing industry.
Ending the oceans’ ‘tragedy of the commons’, by ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, ScienceDaily, Sept 14, 2010
Eight years later, Jacques Cousteau made his first underwater film, “10 Fathoms Down.” Incredibly, the movie was shot entirely with breath-hold diving. Naturally, this greatly limited the scope of the project. Because of his desire to explore the depths with more ease and for longer periods of time, Cousteau and Emile Gagnan developed the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, or scuba, as it is commonly known (Cousteau Society). This invention revolutionized sea research and exploration, and opened up a world of possibilities in the realm of underwater filming/photography that Cousteau would come to master.
This is a major problem that the reef ecosystem faces (Bellwood, Hughes, Folke, & Nyström, 2004). This is no more apparent than in Thailand 's gulf, were the fishing industry is producing about 2, 3 million tons of fish and shellfish in 2007 (FAO
Considering the Earth is over 70% ocean water and 97% of the Earth’s water can be found in the ocean, more action should be done to take care of what happens to the ocean water. The act of restoring the ocean can help save billions of people from diseases and hunger along with saving the marine life in the process. The impact that humans have on marine life transforms the conditions of the ocean dramatically, adding socio-ecological problems to arise. Different marine biologists asses different marine life and try their best to restore what becomes an issue. Along with human contact, temperature plays a major role in the pollution of the ocean and issues addressing the marine live.
According to Dustan, “Since the late 1970s, reefs across the world have been dying at an unprecedented rate, and it only seems to be getting worse. Dustan points out that in the Florida Keys alone extensive reef monitoring studies conducted by the EPA and other agencies have shown that the reefs lost more than 38% of their living coral cover from 1996 to 1999. Carysfort Reef lost over 90% of its coral cover from 1974 to 1999.” The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, the single largest coral reef monitoring effort in the world, reported in October 2000 at the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia, that of all the reefs they monitor worldwide, 27 percent have been lost and another 32 percent could be lost in the next 20-30 years (Pockley 2000).
These results agree with the hypothesis that our “untouched and super-productive world” is affecting marine life ecosystems (Vannela, 2012). All of these results combined confirm the overall hypothesis that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there
In conclusion, I would like to say that before writing this paper, I had no idea how important coral reefs were to the earth. I have learned a lot and I think that if more people were informed about the positive capabilities of them, humans wouldn't be so careless about them.
Coral reef ecosystems are among the most diverse, valuable, and complex ecosystems on the Earth. These ecosystems provide biodiversity, seafood, medicinal opportunities, recreational value, coastal protection, and so much more (Bryant et al). Coral reefs are not only important to the environment, especially considering a third of all marine species rely on them in some way, but also to the environment. Coral reefs provide jobs in various industries that produce billions for the economy such as fishing, tourism, and recreation (Collins). Although coral reef ecosystems are highly important, they are facing an ever growing risk and dying off at increasing rates. The loss of coral reef ecosystems will fundamentally change those marine environments
Coral reefs play an extremely important role in our everyday life. Our coral reefs provide us food and resources; but not only in America, as well as over 500 million people all across the globe, bringing in an outstanding annual economic value of $375 billion dollars. In today’s society, many of these main environments are endangered because of human activities. Unfortunately, many if not most of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed or in the process of being destroyed. Some are being severely damaged by the existing water pollution, overfishing as well as destructive fishing practices, diseases, global climate change, and ship groundings. Coral reefs are also presently endangered by natural phenomena’s such as hurricanes, El Nino, coastal development, pollution, and careless tourism. The global effects of climate changes that are happening now is the increasing temperature of the ocean and the increasing levels of CO2 present in the atmosphere which is hurting and damaging the coral