Coral Bleaching And Its Impact On Coral Reef Ecosystems

The bleaching of coral reefs is when warm water forces algae to leave the reef. Once the algae disappear, the coral goes from a vibrant color to a pale white. As one marine biologist said, “You go from a vibrant, three-dimensional structure teeming with life, teeming with color, to a flat pavement...” This bleaching makes the coral more vulnerable to diseases and a greater risk of death. The biggest bleaching events to have occurred in

Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. There are more than 25,000 known species of organisms and countless others that have yet to be identified (Helvarg, 2000). Reefs thrive on the shallow edge of tropical seas, most often on the eastern edge of continents along warm water currents that brush the coasts. Reefs cannot live in cold waters and are limited by ocean depth and available sunlight. Coral is the foundation of the reef community, providing a three-dimensional structure where thousands of species of vertebrates and invertebrates live and feed. Some species of coral are hard, while others soft. Some are branched, yet others are compact and rounded. Coral is made up of large

In 1980, NOAA’s marine biologist started noticing the coral bleaching. There has been three important coral reef bleaching events in the history. The first global bleaching event “El Niño” was in 1998, it was a “huge underwater heatwave killed 16% of the corals on reefs around the world” . The second bleaching event was in 2010 and was called La Niña. This event affected especially areas near Palau and Micronesia in the Pacific. In October of 2015, NOAA announced the third global bleaching event in which has already become the longest event recorded, affecting coral reefs for consecutive years.

Coral bleaching usually occurs when the surface of a sea with coral in it becomes too warm for the coral. When the water heats to as little as one degree higher than normal, coral expels the algae living in its tissue, which causes it to turn completely white. The rise in temperature of the sea surface has been linked mainly to global warming. Other causes of coral bleaching include oxygen starvation caused by an increase in zooplankton, increased solar irradiance, increased sedimentation, bacterial infections, changes in salinity, herbicides, low tide and exposure, cyanide fishing and elevated sea levels. Bleaching events in 2016 were unprecedented, nearly 90% of the coral in the Great

A coral reef is a ridge formed in shallow ocean water by accumulated calcium-containing exoskeletons of coral animals, certain red algae, and mollusks. Coral reefs are tropical, forming only where surface waters are never cooler than 20° C (68° F).

Coral bleaching occurs when the microscopic plants (zooxanthellae) are expelled by rising ocean temperature. When there are no microscopic plants such as zooxanthellae, the coral turns white and die. The studies show that throughout the worlds ocean, from the Florida Keys to the Great Barrier Reef of the Australia have been evidence of unique coral bleaching caused by the rising of ocean temperature. In the early 1980s the coral bleaching event has increased because of rapid increase of sea water temperature. Esther et al., investigates growth of Oculina patagonica at multiple environmental conditions in the western Mediterranean Sea. The Oculina patagonia is stony coral specie which is found mostly in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. The coral was basically Atlantic origin which was transferred to Mediterranean Sea.

Coral bleaching isn’t as extreme as it sounds, it’s just a way for coral to adapt to changes in their environment but it’s still a bad thing to happen. Warmer temperatures and also ocean acidification are the culprits of coral bleaching, making the coral expel algae from their tissues and causing the coral to be white. For example, the 1998 El Nino/ mass coral bleaching event, the article Not just a pretty face (2) proposes that “although it was triggered by a natural event”, it demonstrated how the ocean can adapt under stress but it also “symbolizes the ultimate consequence of our thirst for fossil fuels”. It’s normal for climate change to cause such an effect on the reefs, humans are to blame for the more rapid climate change though. Believe

The Effects of Climate Change on Coral Skeletons in the Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef supports over half of the hard coral species and one third of the soft coral species in the world; however, the cumulative impact of human activities such as agriculture, mining, and industrial development have caused an estimated loss of 50% of coral cover (Grech et al., 2015). Ocean acidification is one of the primary causes of this loss and is arguably one of the most detrimental consequences of global climate change on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. With the increased emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to industrial processes, more carbon dioxide dissolves in the oceans, producing more carbonic acid and lowering the ocean’s pH level.

Dr. James Kerry from James Cook University (2017) explains that, “A temperature change of only one or two degrees for three or four weeks is enough to push corals out of their comfort zones and they then have more stress put upon them” (para. 30). This ethos argument is very effective. Doctor James Cook gives a lot of input on coral bleaching that is very interesting. If coral bleaching isn’t on your radar yet, it will be soon. The coral reef provides homes to an abundant amount of marine life. Bleaching could cause the extinction of many coral species. According to Stephanie Wear, The Nature Conservancy’s director of coral reef conservation (2017), “Recent steamy temperatures indicate a rough year ahead for the world’s coral reefs” (para. 1). About ninety-three percent of climate change heat is absorbed by the ocean. One thing to understand is that corals have a very small

Coral bleaching is the loss of endosymbiotic algae from the coral. This can cause corals to die and the loss of critical habitat for other species. Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures concealed by corals. They’ll begin to crumble if reef growth does not keep up with erosion by animals and storms. They provide critical habitat and food for many species in the ecosystem and our communities from large waves and storm surges.

Coral reef ecosystems around the globe are threatened by human interferences and climate change. This has led to many scientists conducting studies on global coral reef ecosystems to gain a better understanding of the cause and effects of coral reef damage. In both Hodgson’s (1999) and Carpenter et al.’s (2008) studies, they are aware of the continuous degradation of global coral reef ecosystems. Hodgson's study involved conducting a survey on global coral reef ecosystems to see whether human actions were affecting the health of supposed pristine Coral reefs. Carpenter et al. incorporated Hodgson’s study into a compiled study about the possible extinction of reef building corals due to climate change and anthropogenic effects. Carpenter’s

A case study that was carried out a few years ago states that since 2005, the caribbean region has lost 50 percent of its corals, mainly due to the effects caused by the increase of temperatures. From 1997 to 1998, mass bleaching is estimated to have caused severe effects to 16 percent of the world’s coral reefs. Even though signs of recovery have been seen in

"A report on coral reefs from the (World Wildlife Fund) says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The ‘bleaching’ of corals from small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival."

Consisting of less than 1% of the world oceans, the coral reefs are ancient animals comprising of thin calcium carbonate deposits within the photic layer. Aside from its biologically diverse ecosystems, coral reefs are major source of food for millions and provides habitats and nursery areas for many marine organisms. Coral reefs also act as a physical buffer to protect the coastlines from tropical storms and erosion. In addition, many local communities rely on coral reefs to generate an income through activities such as fishing and diving. However, 75% of the coral reefs are under threat from induced impacts of humans and climate change (Burke, et al., 2011). This essay looks at the human impacts constantly being inflicted on coral reefs.

There are many causes that contribute to the ghostly image of bleached corals, pollutants in the water, natural events - hurricanes, waves, and human activities - commercial scuba diving, heavy tourism in highly biodiversed aquatic areas. Yet the one major factor that causes this bleaching is the increase in the sea surface temperatures. The warmer temperatures are results of global warming, the rising concentrations of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide.