Two reasons why coral reefs are being threatened worldwide are because of tourists, who cause sewage to pollute the ocean and give nutrients to algae, step on corals, and destroy coral reefs with their boat anchors; overfishing causes the mass killing of sea urchins, which feed on algae, thus algae takes over the coral reefs and stunts their growth. B. The process of coral bleaching is when ocean temperatures become too warm, and the algae discharged from the coral causes the coral to begin a stress condition which turns them white; they are no longer the vibrant colors they used to be. When coral reefs lose their good health, organisms cannot live in/around them anymore, and the babies and eggs are exposed to predators, throwing off the aquatic ecosystem. C. 2 ways in which coral reefs can be protected from future destruction are by reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers which enter the ocean through runoff, and by regulating overfishing with laws that set safe catching limits and controls on…
Ocean acidification may cause corals to die out, and there are many other species that depend on corals as well, making ocean acidification yet another cause of…
Scientific Validity of “Study links altered brain chemistry, behavioral impairments in fish exposed to elevated CO2” Coral reefs are having a problem with pH levels and they are dying some places around the world right now, because of it. This is not only affecting the coral reefs, but the animals that live in them and survive with them. There is a Scientific Study called “Study links altered brain chemistry, behavioral impairments in fish exposed to elevated CO2” which discusses the behavior and neurological impairments of coral reef fish due to more CO2 and acidic levels of pH. More CO2 causes lower levels of pH and makes it more acidic and very dangerous for fish. Overall this is a poor scientific article, because it has only one good source…
However, about 40 percent of the 16 percent of the reefs in the world that were seriously damaged in 1998, due to coral bleaching from El Niño, are either recovering well or have fully recovered. Despite that, since 1998 coral bleaching has become even more severe. Every region has now experienced severe coral bleaching, causing much bleach-induced mortality (see figure 3) (Shah). Zooanthellae, which are what give coral their beautiful colors, live on corals and provide them with 95 percent of their energy for growth, reproduction, and feeding, making them key in coral’s survival. With climate change, this causes the water to warm up, making corals go into stress, which causes the zooxanthellae to desert the coral, which in turn causes the bleached appearance (Cesar, et al.).…
Rhyme and Reason Climate change is a hot topic at this point in time and has been for many years. The dying of large amounts of coral is one of the consequences of climate change and the main topic discussed in Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Unnatural Selection”. Kolbert’s influences the readers to care about climate change through her use of unusual introductory, pathos, ethos, logos, and her omission of and opposing argument.…
1. Introduction 1.1 Coral Decline Coral reef is a highly diverse ecosystem that provides many environmental, economical and social benefits to humans (Barker & Roberts 2004; Hughes et al. 2010). Approximately 20% of coral has been lost worldwide (Wilkinson 2006) with an 80% loss in the Caribbean basin (Jackson et al. 2014).…
Marine ecosystems and organisms are more sensitive to temperature change than land ecosystems and organisms. The most vulnerable to temperature change is corals. Corals tend to bleach, or eject their symbiotic algae, at a slight temperature rise. When corals bleach, it slows their growth and makes them more vulnerable to disease, which can lead to a reef die-off (“Sea Temperature Rise”). If corals bleach too often, they are more likely to starve, shrink, and die.…
Heart Reef The Heart Reef, in the Great Barrier Reef, is a beautiful organisation of coral and rocks naturally formed into the shape of a heart. The reef was created by hundreds of years of dead coral building up in a massive, underwater stone wall, which has then grown algae and new coral, which reproduces, dies and grows year by year. The Heart Reef is a beautiful array of stunning coral formations, naturally shaped into a heart.…
Pollution, physical destruction, and rising global temperatures are all ways that humans are contributing to the worldwide destruction of coral reefs. One major way that humans are indirectly causing coral reef change is through global warming. As humans continue to contribute to this…
With the global climate changing so is the coral like many other things and sadly they are dying off because of the temperature changing. Which is causing coral reef bleaching which is when the whitening of diverse invertebrate taxa it is caused by when zooxanthellae decline and or the concentration of photosynthetic pigments within the zooxanthellae…
Increased ocean acidification isn’t the only thing affecting the ocean, but it is very problematic because it erodes aragonite which is a mineral of calcium carbonate. In other words it kills corals and causes the hard exoskeleton to erode. Action needs to be taken to ensure the survival of corals and the creatures that rely on coral reefs to survive. Coral reefs are sources of food for millions of people, but also are sources of medicines. As coral reefs disappear so do the organisms that are mutualistic to it.…
The documentary Chasing Coral follows the journey of Richard Vevers, a former “ad man”, as he uncovers the beauty and demise of coral reefs. His love for the ocean began at 16 when he first started diving and this particular quest initiated when he noticed that is favorite creature, sea dragons, were disappearing. This inspired Richard to create the non-profit The Ocean Agency. In an effort to bring about awareness to changes occuring in the ocean Richard and the non-profit created the project XL Catlin Seaview Survey. This project used 360 degree photographic technology to bring Google Street View underwater, creating an interactive platform that allows everyone to explore the wonders of our coral reefs.…
(Gain attention) President Barack Obama once said “There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent threat of a changing climate.” (Reveal Topic) This statement by President Obama on climate change conveys how important the fight against climate change is. (Establish Credibility) I became interested in this topic after getting into a disagreement regarding climate change with my grandfather and how he doesn’t “buy into that liberal bullshit,” so I set out on a mission to prove him wrong by conducting research with the goal of fully understanding the climate change debate. (Preview the Body)…
From the dawn of the dinosaur to modern day times, animals have been going extinct since their conception on Earth billions of years ago. With the ever overwhelming threat of climate change, many things in nature are at risk for becoming nonexistent. The phrase climate change possess a number of factors that contribute to environmental changes. “For climate change, relevant variables include temperature, precipitation and related variables, as well as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which exert important direct effects on organisms in both terrestrial and marine environments“ (Hannah 143). Over the past century, Earth’s average temperature has risen about one degree… temperatures may rise by an additional two to ten degrees by the end…
Global warming has been a widely talked about subject for many years. Although it has become such a controversial topic, it is indisputable that there has been a change in the climate in recent history and continues to do so. Over the past one hundred and thirty- five years that data has been collected, copious amounts of climatologists have piloted research and investigations that proves global warming is an ongoing threat to Earth as a result of humans negligence. Furthermore, there is a mounting body of evidence to prove that the cause behind global warming is man-made. Despite the growing evidence, a number of scientists still believe the current changes in the climate a part of a natural global cycle.…