Coral

negative. There are five main negative impacts that humans are currently having on reef systems worldwide. They are overfishing, deforestation, coastal development, coral disease and pollution. Overfishing, and other destructive fishing practices have been identified for a very long time as the most pervasive out of all local threats facing coral reefs. More than half of the world’s reefs are threatened by overfishing and this increases to 95% of reefs affected in South East Asia, most likely…

Maggie McMahon APES Period 1 October 24, 2014 Coral Reef Ecology Activity (#3) Tourists scenario: Tourists bring business to many of the countries that are surrounded by coral reefs, but the damage they do is putting the future of both tourism and the coral reef in jeopardy. Most people do not realize how fragile the reef is and carelessly destroy it without thinking, as ecologists have discovered patches of dead coral in the shape of diver's footprints. Boat anchors can break off a quarter…

Sixty genera of coral have a symbiotic relationship with the algae zooxanthellae. Only some deep water and cold water corals can survive without them. This symbiotic relationship benefits both organisms, the zooxanthellae provides the coral with glycerol, glucose and alanine. The coral provides the zooxanthellae with nitrogen and protection against predators. The degree to which the organisms depend on one another varies between species. (Rupert and Barnes, 1994). Coral bleaching occurs when the…

Sixty genera of coral have a symbiotic relationship with the algae zooxanthellae. Only some deepwater and cold water corals can survive without them. This symbiotic relationship benefits both organisms,the zooxanthellae provides the coral with glycerol, glucose and alanine and the coral provides the zooxanthellae with nitrogen and protection against predators. The degree to which the organisms depend on one another vary between species. The zooxanthellae algae gives the coral a yellow-brown or…

When coral gets stressed, they expel all the algae that provides it with about 90% of its energy, in a state of near death. Instead of the bright pink or yellow, or whatever bright color the coral originally was, it turns to a pale chalky white. If whatever is causing the coral to stress out continues, like the water is still too warm, it starts to starve and dies. If whatever is causing them stress goes away after a little while, it is possible for the coral to come back and regain their color…

Coral reefs and how chemical substances can affect these living organisms is what I decided to base my investigation on. We tend to have a genuine love for coral reefs whenever we view someone’s scuba diving photos. You see the fishes swimming around those coral reefs, but many do not know their 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. A coral reef is very important, coral reefs have many…

The corals that make reefs around the world may look like one giant organism but they’re actually some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, with many small features working together to support a variety of marine life. They are typically found in warm, shallow waters of tropical environments, especially in the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of jellyfish-like animals called polyps, connect together to form colonies. These colonies host algae, that provide corals with food, as well as their…

impacts of climate change can make a coral reef vulnerable and damaged, not all hope is lost. Most coral reef ecosystems can recover over time, some taking as little as 20 years and others taking more than 100 years. This does not mean that we should turn our heads on coral reefs and the damage we inflict on them, simply because they will “recover”. This recovery can only work if humans take great care in preserving them. This can be done by assisting the coral with protection programs. This…

ecosystems, and the species within them. Coral Reefs Coral reefs are valuable resources for ocean life. Coral and algae have a symbiotic relationship, with the algae living in the coral and being the primary food source for the coral. As a consequence, this symbiotic relationship provides habitats for small fish and plants due to the abundance of food found in the coral. Many species rely on the coral in order to have a home and food to survive. Not only do coral reefs provide invaluable…

Beside from its aesthetic value, coral reefs provide a range of goods and services, which are essential to humankind. For an environment that covers less than 1 percent of Earth’s surface, coral reefs “produce an estimated $30 billion of revenue from direct use values such as tourism and fishing, and indirect use values such as coastal protection” (“Coral Reefs: Importance,” 2016). Reefs also provide protection to our land by “reducing the resilience of waves during storms thereby preventing…