Coral Reef Research Paper

Have you ever been to a coral reef if not you will learn about them today.The coral reef biome is one of the most interesting biomes. In this paper you can learn about the climate and location ,the pants and animals,also there environmental concerns and the human impact on the coral reef biome.

Many prominent marine biologist and conservationist such as Guy Harvey have lectured my school on many of the problems that are causing problems to coral reefs in the Caribbean. With the accompaniment of my marine biology teacher in high school, I traveled in a submarine observing the flora and fauna on the ocean floor. As we glided through the ocean our teacher informed us on the Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes that found their home in the rocks and coral reefs. We also traveled near the port where the cruise ships dock, and noticed that the ocean floor was baron due to the weakening of the coral reefs caused by anchoring that get swept away when hurricanes churn the water. Not only anchoring can demolish the coral, but the influx of the temperature can as well. If a large amount of boats are patrolling an area the oil and gas from the engine can pollute the water or raise the temperature. Sometimes it only takes and influx of one degree Fahrenheit for the zooxanthellae, a form of algae that is responsible for photosynthesis, can die and cause coral bleaching. Even just by touching the coral repetitively you can break apart the delicate coral. I find it compelling that this issue be addressed because I am an avid fisherman. I enjoy the relaxation and thrill of deep sea fishing, and

Although it may not be apparent to many, coral reefs are an immense necessity to ecosystems across the globe. They act as a major source of nitrogen and other critical nutrients for the hundreds of marine food chains that live close to or in these ecosystems. Coral is proves to be a major factor is recycling these nutrients. On top of this, coral reefs are a major component when it comes looking at its assistance in carbon and nitrogen fixing (an essential process due to the rise is global warming and pollution). Coral reefs absorb nearly one-third of the carbon dioxide generated by burning fossil fuels (GCCM). Aside from the ecological benefits, there are many benefits humans gain from healthy coral reefs. Coral reefs are an enormous help when it come to hurricanes. These reefs act as a natural barrier against storm surges. The natural barriers provide protection to coastlines from damage in which intense waves and tropical storms can bring. Reefs bring in billions of dollars to not only the United States, but hundreds of countries around the globe, as well as millions of employment opportunities. Reefs can help humans in the medical field as well. In these reefs lie the potential to implement biotechnologies and develop treatments for many illnesses, both acute and fatal alike. Coral reefs most crucial impact on this earth is one that cannot be disregarded. While coral reefs merely cover a fraction of a percent of the oceanic floor, these reefs produce what is estimated

Marine ecosystems can be split into coastal and ocean habitats. Coastal habitats extend from the shoreline at the beach to the edge of the continental shelf, way out further than swimming distance. These habitats are home to many kinds of life including fish, corals, birds and even bacteria. All these organisms are part of a long and complex food web and all depend on each other to survive. These ecosystems also provide a vast number of animals with protection from predators and are also extremely important to humans by providing a rich source of food and income through fishing and aquatic activities. They also support species by providing humans with half the oxygen we breathe to survive and they can support species that serve as animal feed, fertilizers, additives in food, make-up and medicines. Other organisms of this habitat aid in protection and structure such as mangroves and seagrasses which protect the coastline from wave action and erosion.

Coral reefs are home to more than four thousand species of fish and eight hundred hard coral species and are among the most biologically diverse environments on the planet, being home to thirty-two of the thirty-four phylum known to exist. These critical ecosystems also serve to protect the coastlines from storms, absorbing over ninety percent of force from wind generated waves. Coral reefs also provide economic benefits to coastal cities drawing tourists as well as commercial and recreational fisherman to the area. Across the globe Coral reefs and their surrounding communities are at risk, of sedimentation, eutrophication, toxicity, and coral bleaching due to changes in the environment from agricultural and terrestrial runoff. A wide variety of biogenous and terragenous materials are carried into the river by wind and rain and eventually are emptied into the oceans where they can potentially damage coral reefs.

In the carbon cycle oceans are carbon dioxide sinks what means that they store carbon dioxide from the air. The fact that through global warming more carbon dioxide is released the oceans have to store more carbon dioxide which results in ocean acidification. This fact makes it more difficult for the corals in the Great Barrier Reef to do the calcification as the carbon dioxide binds the calcium carbonate in the water which makes it unusable for the corals. Effects of this consequence of the global warming are fragile and sensitive corals that are severely affected in their growth and a protracted damage of the ecosystem because many inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef don't tolerate

even though coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystem in the world, they only contains 3 types of plants that helps the corals grow. algae is one of the plants that grows in the coral reef. this algae plant is the smallest plant of them all and most of the algae plants can only be seen in microscopes. most plants have stems, roots and leaves but for algae plants they don't have all these parts to a plant. the food source for smaller fishes and invertebrate that live in the coral reef is the algae plants. 500 or more marine species that are algae live in the great barrier which is in australia. these algae plants come in different colors such as red, blue, and green. they are known as cyanobacteria and they form tufts and crusts. the red algae

Tropical Coral reefs are one of the most fundamentally important ecosystems on the planet, maintaining an impressive array of diversity able to boast thousands of species with many only found within their unique reef system. Reefs play a vital role shaping ecosystems and providing shelter and refuge for many populations’. These reef systems are found throughout the tropics with the majority found within the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn and found worldwide from the Caribbean to Australia. Reef systems are not only a hub of diversity it’s a vital source of nutriment for thousands of people with more than 15% of global population living within 100 kilometres of reef systems (Hoegh-Guldberg, 1999).

Coral reefs occupy only 0.2% of the ocean floor, yet they are the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems known today, and support over 25% of all marine organisms (Yip). Due to the massive amount of marine species that populate coral reef habitats, maintaining healthy reefs is crucial for the continuation of marine biodiversity. In past years, the increase of mortality rates in coral has been caused by a number of factors, including wide-spread stress and disease. In the Indo-Pacific, coral reefs have been declining at a rate of approximately 2% per year for the last 20 years (Yip). Coral reef fish biodiversity is crucial for the sustainability of the coral reef ecosystem, as well as for the ability of the coral reefs to provide services to the ecosystem (Ehrenfeucht). Such services include coral reef fisheries and the tourism industry.

Coral reefs provide important ecosystem goods and services, such as fisheries and tourism, and have great cultural value. However, human impacts such as climate change, overfishing, pollutant run-off, coral harvesting and recreational fishing have significant effects on the regenerative processes of coral reef species and are increasing the prevalence of coral bleaching events. Human impacts can be categorised into two categories; acute, which are brief disturbances that occur suddenly, and chronic which have long-term impacts and are often difficult to stop. Due to human disturbances, the dominance of corals in the marine ecosystem is slowly drifting away to seaweed or other non-coral

Coral reefs all around the world are currently faced with a large number of both natural and man-made threats. Threats like global warming, pollution, and overfishing are commonly spoken about and are familiar to most people, but it may come as a surprise that something as popular as sunscreen makes a large contribution to the harm of coral reefs (Badger Balm). With such a large number of people using sunscreen, the environmental impact it has, especially on coral reefs, is becoming more and more apparent over the years. Research has shown that chemicals in sunscreen play a big role in the bleaching of beautiful coral reefs. Reefs that are tourist attractions or are located near popular beaches are impacted the most from the large number of

The most significant threat to coral reefs is human interaction. People use coral reefs for a lot of things. They provide us with jobs, coral reefs bring in 30 billion dollars a year, the most they have ever brought in was 170 billion dollars in a year. Even though they help us so much we harm them in many different ways. Humans overfish, we pollute the ocean, and we change the ocean chemistry. These things kill the coral.

Coral reefs have experienced damage by several ways all around the world. They can be harmed by natural events such as cyclones, tsunamis, and hurricanes. With large human populations and improved storage and transport systems, the scale of human impacts on reefs has rapidly grown. Pesticides and fertilisers used in agricultural development projects are carried in run off to sea and are known to play a role in coral reef destruction. The demolition of coral reefs is due to temperature changes, pollution, and tourists.

The health of coral reefs is declining worldwide. Such an important ecosystem must survive in order to protect countless species from going extinct, ensure continued protection to shorelines from weather, and provide economic and sustainable food income for humans. As it stands, about 75% of the world’s reefs are at risk due to many stressors, and if nothing is done, those reefs will be at an extremely high threat level of dying out (Chavanich et al., 2015). Some of these stressors are overfishing, destructive fishing, invasive

Nestled in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide valuable resources to both human and marine life. Coral reefs are estimated to contain one-quarter of the undersea world's diverse species while covering less than 0.2 % of the ocean floor. However, coral reefs are in serious danger due to both natural and man-made causes (Edmonds, 1998).