Coral Reefs And The Great Barrier Reef

The devastation of both coral reefs and kelp forests can vary in strength depending on their biogeography. After the initial acute event that wipes out either the reef or the forest occurs, it is usually the water quality or fish population that determines whether they can recover. Both these processes’ strength depends on where they occur, and the biogeography of the area they are in.
Coral reefs that are not located by a ravine run off do not have the issue of sewage, or fertilizer run offs. So while their effects are minimized, in the Great Barrier Reef it can be seen that a reduction in herbivorous fish can still lead to increases in cover of algae, even if there is zero change in nutrient availability. This indicates that increased nutrients