To begin, the use of technology to help lower the risk of these coral reefs being destroyed is a…
because of this, the entire food web is affected. Along with the species, the coral reefs…
Global climate change, unsustainable fishing impacts, and land-based pollution are some threats that decline the coral reefs. According to Terry Gibson, a co-author of a report from University of Miami, said that “from scuba diving in the Keys to charter fishing boats in Miami-Dade to commercial fishing in Martin County, reef-related sales amount to more than $5.5 billion each year.” Also, heavy touristic activities such as diving and snorkeling can take a toll on coral reefs. According to engineering firm Hazen & Sawyer, their survey on participation in recreational activities concludes that “five counties, Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Martin, and Palm Beach, make up more than 70,000 jobs and over $5.5 billion in annual sales in recreation related to coral reefs”. From this, employment relating to coral reefs generate more than $2.5 billion in annual income. The firm also mentioned that “overall users were willing to pay an additional $10.51 per day to fund efforts to preserve natural coral reefs and construct new artificial ones.” This may lead an increase in overall tourism to an area, meaning more visitors to both the artificial and natural reefs. However, these artificial reefs would then cause obstruction to habitats and attract invasive…
Coral reefs and how chemical substances can affect these living organisms is what the research is conducted on. We tend to have a genuine love for coral reefs whenever we view someone’s scuba diving photos. Seeing fishes swim around coral reefs is what many assume is the purpose of the reefs, but many do not know their real purpose. However, it comes down to learning the importance of coral reefs and how to protect these species that are very much a part of our ocean. This investigation is important because just like everything in our sea there is, importance in these reefs in our ocean. Not to mention, if we do not learn and protect these species there will be severe consequences for the world that we live in.…
This sea is predicted as how the oceans of the planet will look like within the next century. The acidification that might happen throughout the oceans of the world is mostly caused by the carbon dioxide emitted from smokestacks and tailpipes. (527) Thirty percent of the carbon dioxide released by man has been soaked in the oceans. Many marine organisms cannot survive in these high carbon dioxide concentrated conditions. The evidence from Castello Aragonese proves that this polluted sea is missing thirty-three percent of marine organisms that live outside the vent system. Another significant organism of the chemistry of the ocean is the coral reef. Coral reefs are essential for the ecosystem of the ocean. Ocean acidification is a threat to their existence. According to Jane Lubchenco, ocean acidification is global warming’s “equally evil twin.” (qtd. in…
Pavan Sukhdev studies “the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity” (Sukhdev), as well as how businesses need to change to create a greener world, which involves looking at the costs of losing biodiversity and ecosystems. According to him, around 500 million people - presumably more, as time has gone on - rely on the types of fish that thrive in coral reefs to survive. If the coral reefs disappear, these people have no jobs and descend into poverty, which is terrible for the economy. There’s also money from tourism to consider. In just the Bahamas, a single sharks - a living one - gains them around $250,000 from the cost of diving. A fisherman who catches, kills, and sells a shark, on the other hand, only makes about $50 (“The Importance of Sharks”). That’s a decent sum of money, but not nearly as good as the live shark’s…
Coral reefs are home to many fishes and plants. Because of global warming, 16% of the world’s coral reefs were wiped out in one year alone (“Global Warming and Coral Reefs”). Ocean temperatures have also risen by 1.3 ° Fahrenheit since the last 19th century (Coral bleaching and ocean acidification are two climate-related impacts to coral reefs). The increasing carbon dioxide levels lead to coral bleaching. This occurs when coral responds to the stress of the temperature warming. This expels the colorful algae that live within most of the coral dies, so the entire ecosystem disappears. Warmer waters are expected to increase the chance of coral diseases such as black band disease, white plague, and white pox. All of the diseases lead to the killing of coral reefs and the entire ecosystem is supports.…
Coral reefs are one of the world’s hidden treasures. In a coral reef, you can find anything from plants to certain types of animals. Some of the coral that you might see can be dangerous and fatal to humans. While some coral reefs are dangerous, others aren’t. There are a lot of things in a coral reef and many topics worth being discussed, but only three topics will be touched on throughout this paper. The first topic is the food web within the coral reefs; the second topic being discussed will be the different types of coral reefs; the third topic to be discussed will be where coral reefs can be found.…
Coral reefs have been dubbed the “rainforests of the oceans”, because of the rich diversity of life they support, as more than one quarter of all marine animals depend upon coral reefs. Coral reefs are also a source of food and income for millions of people. The coral reef ecosystems benefit humans commercially, recreationally and environmentally. Without them many tourism based industries would collapse, treatments or cures for some illnesses would disappear, and the countless organisms they support would be left without food or shelter. For these reasons and numerous others, it is vital that we protect coral reefs.…
Coral reefs are one of the most interesting things on earth. It is a shame that people know so little about them and that they aren’t taken care of near as well as they should be. They are fascinating to learn about if you put time and effort to learn about them and what they are. Also, what they all do for our environment. Our solution for taking care of our reefs are to educate yourself about coral reefs, volunteer for reef clean-ups, do not anchor down on the reefs, and reduce, reuse, and…
The Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, is the “world’s largest coral reef ecosystem”, according to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). It is home to about 2,900 individual coral reefs, but unfortunately, as of 1990 and continuing until today, this number is rapidly declining. This active downturn is primarily due to the catastrophic coral bleaching event being held in their ecosystem. Coral reefs have an optimal water temperature of (20-27 celsius) where they can successfully reproduce and live comfortably. Coral reef bleaching is caused by a change in their regular habitat, specifically, a rise in temperature. If there is any elevation in the temperature, the corals will undergo stress. The…
“Predator Starfish Wiping Out The Great Barrier Reefs Dramatically.” Green Diary April 2007. Accessed 26 July 2009. http://www.greendiary.com/entry/predator-starfish-wiping-out-the-great-barrier-reefs-corals-dramtically/…
Hodgson, G. 1999. A global assessment of human effects on coral reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 38(5): 345-55.…
Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. They occupy less than 1% of the world ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species, including fishes, mollusks, echinoderms and sponges.…
Coral reefs have been dubbed the ‘gardens of the sea.’ Burke and Maidens (2004) describe them as both physical structures and complex ecosystems. The physical structure is formed from the secretions of calcium carbonate by tiny marine organisms called coral polyps, which forms a shell around them (Mohammed, 2007). These shells become cemented together and remain when the reef building polyps die. The basic units of reef growth then are the coral polyps and symbiotic algae that live in the coral tissues which are responsible for creating food from sunlight. This symbiotic relationship is the key factor explaining both the productivity of reefs and the rather strict environmental requirement of corals (Cesar, 2004). This physical structure with a living veneer of corals on its surface provides a haven for a diversity of marine flora and fauna to make up the coral reef ecosystem (Burke et al, 2011). Coral reefs comprise less than one-tenth of one percent of the world’s marine environment, yet are home to at least twenty-five percent of all known marine species.…