Reefs

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…

The article “Hidden Battles on the Reefs: How Will Coral Reefs Fare in a Changing Ocean?” was written by Tom DeCarlo and was published in Volume 51, Issue 2 of the journal Oceanus in 2016. I accessed the article through the University of West Florida’s library’s website by searching for the Opposing Viewpoints in Context database under the “A-Z Database List.” Once in the database, one can search the title of the article in the search box to locate it. DeCarlo intended this article to be read by…

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. Surrounded by bright blue, crystal clear water, the heart…

Assessment of Artificial Reefs Brock49 assessed a Hawaiian AR by looking at its financial gains alone, to investigate whether it was as profitable as the natural reefs. This is a useful tool as it provides an idea of the amount of people visiting an artificial reef compared to a natural reef. It also provides the value of a reef. In 1994 the profits for the AR were $20,000 dollars, compared to a profit of $278,000 from natural reefs. This profit however is from four natural reef sites…

Coral reefs experience overfishing as well as blast and poison fishing. Overfishing in coral reefs cause a change in the reefs overall ecosystem. The biodiversity of a coral reef can be threatened when fish species are removed or thinned along the reef. Each species of plant and marine life is important to a coral reef since each one has specific role to play within the reef’s ecosystem. There is a find balance that the reefs need in the amounts of oxygen, salt, and nutrient content that marine…

Fishing activities are considered one of the three most substantial threats to coral reefs health today (Roberts, 2009). It causes many negative direct and indirect effects on aquatic structure and communities, and in many cases, leads to species extirpation or extinction (Roberts, 2009). Fish species within the coral reef ecosystems play important functioning roles that help support many different coral reef processes (Bellwood et al., 2004). Species richness and high levels of biodiversity are…

The article “Forecasted Coral Reef Decline in Marine Biodiversity Hotspots under Climate Change” examines the suitability of habitats for coral reef development and growth concerning mainly the factor of thermal tolerance. Coral reefs are home to many species and these habitats are key for maintaining biodiversity, yet under climate change this highly diverse system is very vulnerable, especially to changing sea surface temperatures. A slight increase in sea surface temperature can lead to mass…

Biodiversity of Coral Reefs By: Ganesh Balaji Ecology is a macro-scale science that encompasses all biological life. However, in order to fully understand the depth of ecology, and its significance in relation to life on earth, one must study the biodiversity of the species living in this planet. Although the history of modern human civilizations has largely ignored the importance and complexity of biodiversity, understanding the many layers of biodiversity will provide us with richer knowledge…

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is found off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea of the Pacific Ocean. Scientists believe that the coral reef structure was formed 60,000 years ago, but deteriorated due to climate & sea level changes. However, the coral reefs grew over the old structure. The current GBR is about 6,000 - 8,000 years old. The reef’s abiotic factors include sunlight, soil, water, climate, & temperature. It has a tropical climate & two distinct seasons,…

Coral reefs throughout the world are experiencing various levels of decay. While only ten percent of the world’s overall coral reef population has been completely destroyed, in hard-hit places like the Philippines over 70 percent of coral reefs have been lost, while just a measly 5 percent can be said to be in truly good condition. The causes behind the widespread destruction of coral reefs are many, all acting simultaneously to contribute to the problem. Firstly, humans serve as a huge…