Coral Reefs : How We 're Growing Baby Corals

Corals build colonies that secrete calcium carbonate to form ocean reefs. When they're healthy, coral reefs provide shelter and food for animals all along the food chain, including the top: us. Across the planet, half a billion people rely, directly and indirectly, on corals for their living. That's why what happens to the 9,000-year-old Great Barrier Reef, as well as to other reefs worldwide, is critical. The floods in Queensland have hurt the Great Barrier Reef by funnelling into the ocean vast plumes of freshwater and agricultural runoff that could severely damage the coral. Besides the extreme rain that sparked the floods, rising ocean temperatures, changes to the ocean's chemistry and the global trade in natural resources — all symptoms of our fossil-fuel economy — are waging a multiform war on the marine

In conclusion, coral is a single; it’s made up of thousands of ploys. Which secrete the limestones that attaches to rock or ocean bed and keeps them in the places where they came. That’s why if we stop the main cause of this--fishermen-- we’ll be able to see the coral reefs. The central idea of the article, “ Ingenious Coralbots May Help Restore Coral Reefs”, is that humans should stop taking the coral reefs from their

"Coral reefs… are fragile structures living within a narrow range of temperature, clarity, salinity and chemistry. Even a slight increase in ocean temperature, or increased CO2… can cause stresses such as bleaching… These stresses slow the rate of growth of the corrals… With some 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs now losing productivity, it’s becoming a global crisis and a scientific mystery."

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.

First, I am going to talk about the importance of coral reefs. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. They are home to 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard coral, and hundreds of other species. Scientists believe that there are another 1 to 8 million unidentified species (NOAA). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, new drugs are being developed from

Located in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide priceless resources to both human and marine

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coral reefs contribute to 200 million jobs while providing food for over a billion global citizens. The reefs are more than just something one frequents while on a cruise ship or vacation, they are an integral part of our world economy (NOAA). As a subsidiary office to the US Department of Commerce, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (NCRCP) aims to "make the most of limited resources and to have the largest impact to reverse general declines in coral reef health" (NOAA). Whether a student doing research, an environmental activist looking to volunteer, or a graduate seeking employment the NCRCP website provides a vast database of evidence and educational resources that

Besides being a spectacle to look at, coral reefs are also one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. In addition to ⅓ of all fish (not just species) spend at least a portion of their lives on a reef, they are also home to mollusks, sponges, turtles, and a plethora of different species of coral (Basic Facts, 2014). Coral reefs also can protect coastlines from wave erosion and also help support fisherman that depend on the reef as their livelihood. Contrary to the

C: Even though an abundance of research is being conducted by scientists in order to help save the coral reef, their efforts seem to be getting nowhere due to the ignorance of people who do not know how bad the problem truly is. E: Scientists are currently using Google Maps technology to take pictures of the reefs to showcase the severity of the problem (Chasing Coral). A: This makes pictures of the reef’s condition accessible to anyone anywhere on earth, therefore making education about the reef more accessible. E: NOAA is transforming the ways reefs are researched by using satellites to detect where bleaching is occurring and at what level (Chasing Coral). A: By doing this, NOAA is providing useful information to scientists

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

Coral reefs around the world are in danger. One of the causes is global warming, which has been increasing the temperature of the ocean water resulting in coral bleaching. This essay will focus on damage occurring to the Great Barrier Reef.

To begin his lecture, Mark Boyce talked about how humans have effected top-down and bottom-up dynamics. These factors, that humans have created, are over harvesting, nutrient pollution, and increased phosphorus delivery. Most of the work that Boyce did was on the systems within the Coral Reefs, which are much more diverse and variable then many expect. There is a symbiosis relationship between coral and algae, where the coral gives nitrogen and the algae gives sugar back to the coral through photosynthesis. As time goes on, there are less coral reefs and more algal reefs. In the Caribbean, coral has decreased from a 50% coverage to a low 5-10% across the entire basin; this is caused by overfishing, bleaching, disturbance, eutrophication, and disease. Changing the number of herbivores and nutrient availability, changes the amount of algal and coral growth over time. If there is a low number of herbivores and high nutrient availability this causes fleshy macro-algae to grow, which kills coral; fish are key drivers of herbivory. Seaweed, algae and fish interact with corals,

2015). A potential answer to the decreasing amounts of coral reefs is the push for efforts in regulation of human activity: reduction of overfishing, of waste disposal into water bodies, of dredging that leads to sedimentation, and of pollution to the oceans; this solution is accomplished with the hope that the recuperation rate of the coral reef ecosystems outpaces the dissolution rate. However, this hope is not easily met, as it is difficult to limit human actions (Figure 1); instead, efforts should refocus towards active

However, many fisherman are unable to catch as many fish as they used to, so they are increasingly using cyanide and dynamite in fishing, which further degrades the coral reef ecosystem.[6] This perpetuation of bad habits simply leads to the further decline of coral reefs and therefore perpetuating the problem. One solution to stopping this cycle is to educate the local community about why conservation of marine spaces that include coral reefs is important.[7] Once the local communities understand the personal stakes at risk then they will actually fight to preserve the reefs. Conserving coral reefs has many economic, social, and ecological benefits, not only for the people who live on these islands, but for people throughout the world as well.

Beaches are used as a tourist attraction. Coral reefs are an example of marine life endangered by this idea. Though coral reefs are beautiful to view, boats on top of the coral can destroy and hit the reefs. This is a big problem because coral reefs are home to millions of marine life. According to the book, Destroying the Oceans, “coral reefs are home to one quarter of Earth’s marine animals and plants”. With that, many habits are also destroyed.