One can dream of a white Christmas in Australia, when the snow covers the highlands in a mystical white. However, the white coral in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are certainly not a part of this holiday celebration. According to Terry Hughes, director of the Arc Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, sixty to eighty percent of the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached (Schiffman). But what is this bleaching? Is someone dumping Clorox into the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia to turn the coral a decorative white? The answer is not that simple.
Coral reefs are naturally clear and get their vivid colors from the zooxanthellae living inside them (Buccheim). The zooxanthellae “provides food to the corals through carbohydrates they produce
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during photosynthesis” (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need To Know”). However, when the coral gets “stressed”, the coral expels the zooxanthellae living inside its tissues, which results in the coral turning white and therefore “bleached” (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need To Know”). Devastatingly, there are species of coral that are endangered, and if coral reefs are not protected, the extinction of coral reefs could lead to a domino effect to other ecosystems and result in a mass extinction worldwide (Abitbol). It is no surprise that global warming, which causes rising ocean temperatures, is the leading cause behind coral bleaching (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need to Know”).
Increases in temperature ranging from 0.5 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius over a few weeks or days respectively can kill coral reefs (Buccheim). In an article written by Abitbol, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef could be extinct by 2050 if nothing is done to stop global warming. Furthermore, “increases in carbon dioxide decreases the ocean’s pH, which causes acidification and has devastating consequences for the skeleton-building corals as well as marine life” (Abitbol). However, global warming is not the only cause of coral bleaching. Other stress factors, along with coral diseases, pollution from runoff from coastal areas, environmental changes in seawater salinity, and abnormal levels of sedimentation can also lead to bleaching activity (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need to …show more content…
Know”). Despite the mounting number of dying coral reefs worldwide, there are skeptics who do not believe in the dire situation the Great Barrier Reef is in. According to an article written by M.J.C. Crabbe, a marine scientist at the University of Bedfordshire, used by the World Climate Report, coral reefs display resilience and can adapt to stress, enabling coral reefs to have survived for hundreds of millions of years. “Corals have been around for eons; they have survived periods hotter than anything experienced today; they have survived massive El Nino events…” (“Coral Bleaching”). Drawing on the previous statement, the World Climate Report displays a disbelief in global warming being a big player in coral bleaching, putting a blame on local fisherman for not controlling their catches. Additionally, a scientific journal called Coral Reefs, used by the World Climate Report, argues that coral reefs can recover after coral bleaching successfully (“Coral Bleaching”). “The proportional increase in coral cover after 2.5 years was fairly high at reserve sites (mean of 19% per site)...” (“Coral Bleaching”). In contrast to the argument presented by the World Climate Report, there are statistics that bring to light the danger that coral reefs are in due to coral bleaching. “More than 60 coral reef bleaching events out of 105 mass coral mortalities were reported between 1979-1990, compared with only three bleaching events among 60 mass coral mortalities recorded during the preceding 103 years” (Buccheim). To add on, the first mass global bleaching event was in 1998, following an El Nino event in 1982 to 1983. Unfortunately, two other mass bleaching events have followed in 2002 and 2016, the most catastrophic yet. Although coral reefs can recover from bleaching, the recovery time for faster growing coral is a decade, and constant disturbances have inhibited the Great Barrier Reef from recovering successfully between the major bleaching activity of 2016 and another mass bleaching in 2017. In a research study conducted by Hughes, included in an interview by Schiffman, in 2016, 55 percent of the corals reefs of the Great Barrier Reef that Hughes and his team had surveyed were bleached four times more than in 1998 and 2002. Returning back six months later, 66 percent of the coral in the northern 500 miles of the Great Barrier reef were dead (Schiffman). Known as one of the “Tropical Rainforests of the Oceans,” the Great Barrier Reef “is home to one-third of the world's soft corals -- as well as more than 1,500 species of fish and six of the world's seven marine sea turtle species,” which amounts to at least 25 percent of the ocean’s marine species (Abitbol).
Thus, the loss of coral reefs can disrupt ocean ecosystems and lead to unprecedented extinction of marine species. Moreover, the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef attracts over a million of tourists to Australia each year and generates an Australian fishing industry. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority “estimates that the Great Barrier Reef Park contributes about $5.76 billion a year to the Australian economy, mostly through tourism and recreational fishing” (Abitbol). Therefore, the loss of the Great Barrier Reef could destroy the livelihood of Australian fishermen, tourism companies, and family-ran or locally-operated scuba diving businesses.
Actions have been taken to alleviate global warming, which simultaneously give the Great Barrier Reef and other coral reefs worldwide a chance to recover. For instance, Australia has agreed to meet the target of 1.5 degree Celsius increase, in this century, set by the Paris Climate Conference (Schiffman). Meanwhile, the Nature Conservancy, an environmental organization, is “working with countries to establish resilient marine protected area networks” with the aim of increasing the chances of coral reef recovery
after major disturbances (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need to Know”). However, these actions need the support of ordinary people like you and me too if they are to have any effect. Small acts, such as walking, driving, or taking public transportation or planting trees, will not only help to reduce carbon emissions but will also aid in protecting coral reefs from rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming. Furthermore, you can also contact your local legislature and petition for climate legislation (“Coral Bleaching: What You Need to Know”). Equally important as decreasing carbon emissions, restain from littering to avoid ocean pollution. The Great Barrier Reef faces endangerment, but it is not too late to prevent the reef’s entire dissemination. By reducing your own carbon footprint, helping to lessen ocean pollution, and fighting for strict limitations on carbon emissions, you can help save the Great Barrier Reef. Let’s keep a white Christmas on Australia’s highlands.
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.
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.
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 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).
Spreading the word is the main way to help the reef as only 1 in 10 people know about the coral bleaching and its damaging effects it has on the great barrier reef, the other 9 don’t even know whats going on with the great barrier reef let alone what coral bleaching actually is.
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
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
A big change that has occurred in the oceans all over the world is the Coral Reefs are dying and are predicted to be dead by the end of the century due to the rising acidity of the oceans caused by many different threats to marine ecosystems. Coral reefs cover less than 0.2% of our oceans but they contain 25% of the world’s marine fish species according to Endangered: Biodiversity on the brink, 2010: pg.45). If this is the case that means by the time the end of the century comes around we will have lost close to 25% of the worlds marine ecosystems.
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 absorb almost all of the excess heat from climate change. This affects 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.
The Great barrier reef has had many recent hardships, including water pollutants and the increasing water temperature. Although it may be too late to save this particular reef we the people must not be so nearsighted to the
The leading natural cause of destruction among the coral reefs is global warming. Global warming causes the bleaching of coral reefs to occur. Bleaching is a response to stress by the coral reef that happens when the water becomes to warm. The coral then put out a brownish zooxanthelle which causes them to lose their color. Without the zooxanthelle, the corals cannot provide nourishment for itself and th...
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
The Great Barrier Reef is an exemplary model of the famous exotic coral reef seen in a copy of the National Geographic or the popular animated film Finding Nemo. Located on the coast of Australia, it is known as the “largest biological organism in the world” (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” par. 1). The idea bears that coral reefs are again not an assortment of organisms functioning separately but rather working together to thrive. The groups of coral that are seen in t...
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
Coral reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper, I will discuss a few of them. First of all, they house a collection of diverse organisms, and contribute to 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 habitat for many species.