Acropora Millepora is just one of the many types of coral species in the world that are affected by coral bleaching. As the previous section looked at the organismal level of these particular species, this section will now take the perspective at the population level. Population ecology is defined in the book of Environmental Science as “ the study of factors that cause populations to increase or decrease” ( Friedland 151). These factors may include what enables species to thrive in a certain environment. Such as the A. Millepora is a type of coral species that habitat both inshore and offshore reefs ( Lema et al. 2014). By knowing the environmental location of where these species thrive can help scientist determine how these populations grow
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“To date there have been no detailed global assessment of coral reef recovery from bleaching (Baker et al. 2008). Little is known to any benefits that exists, yet it is safe to say that coral bleaching contains more cons than pros. Reasons could be due to the fact, that after a major bleaching, the mortality of the coral populations decline rather than thrive. Research has shown that the contributing factor of the frequent bleaching events could be due to high temperature anomalies (Baker et al. 2008), “all regional episodes of coral bleaching documented to date have implicated high temperatures as the underlying stressor” (Baker et al. 2008). With the warm temperatures affecting the environmental site of the population causes a domino effect for the coral species to decline. Further research may suggest that the A. Millepora population is influenced by an independent density such as temperature and weather patterns. Since multiple examples correlate to, “the number of coral reef bleaching reports, driven principally by episodic increases in sea temperature, has increased dramatically since the early 1980s (Baker et al. 2008). One can conclude that bleaching is a bigger issue than one can simply solve. As degradation to coral reef habitats continues, specialists will increasingly be forced to use alternative recruitment microhabitats, and this is likely to reduce population replenishment. Future …show more content…
Millepora are affected by bleaching for the zooxanthella population decline as well. They share a symbiotic relationship (Kashian 2014) with the coral species, by providing nutrients. Furthermore, these two populations shows a dynamic that coral bleaching affects these two populations simultaneous. The coral reefs offers shelter to many other species that call the reef home, but for this paper, it will focus more so with A. Millepora and zooxanthella population dynamics. Reef corals and zooxanthella organisms live close to their upper thermal tolerance limits and are confined to the shallow waters, therefore because of these negative effects of high temperatures and light, bleaching is commonly associated with the decline of both populations (Baker et al. 2008). Bleaching disturbances are likely to become “chronic stress in many reef areas in the coming decades, if they cannot recover quickly enough, are likely to be reduced to their most hardly adaptable constituents” (Baker et al. 2008). This example goes back to the basic idea that if one cannot replenish what they use in a timely matter may lead to a decline and this can be applied for populations. If a population cannot reproduce and repopulate in a timely matter can lead to extinction. Results from the bleaching affect the coral population by a decline in the skeletal and tissue growth of the corals, therefore leads to a decline in autotrophic inputs due to reduced photosynthesis
“To date there have been no detailed global assessment of coral reef recovery from bleaching (Baker et al. 2008). Little is known to any benefits that exists, yet it is safe to say that coral bleaching contains more cons than pros. Reasons could be due to the fact, that after a major bleaching, the mortality of the coral populations decline rather than thrive. Research has shown that the contributing factor of the frequent bleaching events could be due to high temperature anomalies (Baker et al. 2008), “all regional episodes of coral bleaching documented to date have implicated high temperatures as the underlying stressor” (Baker et al. 2008). With the warm temperatures affecting the environmental site of the population causes a domino effect for the coral species to decline. Further research may suggest that the A. Millepora population is influenced by an independent density such as temperature and weather patterns. Since multiple examples correlate to, “the number of coral reef bleaching reports, driven principally by episodic increases in sea temperature, has increased dramatically since the early 1980s (Baker et al. 2008). One can conclude that bleaching is a bigger issue than one can simply solve. As degradation to coral reef habitats continues, specialists will increasingly be forced to use alternative recruitment microhabitats, and this is likely to reduce population replenishment. Future …show more content…
Millepora are affected by bleaching for the zooxanthella population decline as well. They share a symbiotic relationship (Kashian 2014) with the coral species, by providing nutrients. Furthermore, these two populations shows a dynamic that coral bleaching affects these two populations simultaneous. The coral reefs offers shelter to many other species that call the reef home, but for this paper, it will focus more so with A. Millepora and zooxanthella population dynamics. Reef corals and zooxanthella organisms live close to their upper thermal tolerance limits and are confined to the shallow waters, therefore because of these negative effects of high temperatures and light, bleaching is commonly associated with the decline of both populations (Baker et al. 2008). Bleaching disturbances are likely to become “chronic stress in many reef areas in the coming decades, if they cannot recover quickly enough, are likely to be reduced to their most hardly adaptable constituents” (Baker et al. 2008). This example goes back to the basic idea that if one cannot replenish what they use in a timely matter may lead to a decline and this can be applied for populations. If a population cannot reproduce and repopulate in a timely matter can lead to extinction. Results from the bleaching affect the coral population by a decline in the skeletal and tissue growth of the corals, therefore leads to a decline in autotrophic inputs due to reduced photosynthesis