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The effect of global warming on coral reefs
Global warming effects on coral reefs
Impacts of global warming on coral reefs
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Concerns about coral reefs have only been raised within the last few years, going back to 2004. In the Home movie (which came out in 2009), they dressed that coral reefs were dying from all of the heating of our planet and the deadly pollutants in the air going into the water. The movie and many articles wrote by scientists have said that this damage made to the coral reefs might not be averted. Almost 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed and no immediate signs of recovery. On Earth’s surface, coral reefs take up 1% of the surface. In 1998, 16% of coral reefs were damaged by pollutants in the air. But in 2009, 40% of the 16% that were damaged in 1998 recovered fully or is recovering slowly. Those numbers were great at first,
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).
The world is changing. The environment is yelling at us, but is society ready to listen? Climate scientists, outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, and politicians all have an opinion on the state of the world’s climate. There is an argument from each side, agreeing or disagreeing with the claims of scientists who are trying to show the world what is happening. The fact is that humans are changing the climate, and it is not for the better. Glaciers are melting, the polar caps are shrinking and the ocean is becoming acidic. According to a report in Ocean News and Technology “Researchers have found that increasing ocean temperatures due to climate change will soon see reefs shrinking” (Ocean News and Technology). The Great Barrier Reef off the
Coral reefs are often thought of being “rainforests of the ocean” as they create a large diversity. A select type of coral control this diversity a symbiotic relationship with plankton. The distinct type of plankton are called zooxanthellae. This symbiotic relationship between hosts and partners that use photosynthesis, allow coral to skyrocket in seas where nutrients are poor and send calcium carbonate down to the bottom of the ocean in order to build reefs up in size (Toller et al. 2001).
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.
Human activity has significantly altered the reef, mainly due to coastal development, pollution, overfishing and tourism. Climate change has worsened these issues, causing coral bleaching due to rising temperatures causing stress and when under stress corals expel the microscopic algae that live in their
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
Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface. The talk of climate change can often seem to focus on what is happening in our atmosphere, but there is a lot of change going on in our oceans. The oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 28% of the carbon pollution generated by human consumption of fossil fuels (Nuccitelli 2015). The purpose of this paper is to show how the effects of climate change effect the coral reefs in our oceans, with a focus on the coral reef systems in the Caribbean and of the Great Barrier Reef. The Caribbean coral reefs are well known to have suffered more damage between the two reef systems. That’s not to say that the Great Barrier Reef has not suffered its own damage. It has and will continue to suffer in the future.
1.The name of the reef is the Great Barrier Reef. It is the earths largest coral reef and the largest structure on earth made by living, breathing organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is a community of 2,900 individual reefs off the coast of Queensland and in northeast Australia.
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.
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
The Coral Triangle, also known as the "Amazon of the seas," is bursting with marine life -- and death. The triangular region that encompasses the waters of Indonesia, http://www.care2.com/causes/last-sumatran-rhino-in-the-west-headed-to-indonesia-to-mate.html
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 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.
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.
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.