Impact Of Climate Change On Australia's Tropical Coral Reefs

It is crucial that we take actions to protect coral reefs from the damaging effects of climate change. By reducing the temperature increase we may be able to help save the coral reefs left for the future

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.

Oceans are important when it comes to slowing down climate change, they absorbs heat and greenhouse gases but it becomes more acidic dues to carbon dioxide (Dorey, 2015). By 2045, the pH level of seawater is expected to reach 7.8, which is slightly more acidic than normal and many sea creatures will not survive in this condition (Dorey, 2015). The acidification makes it difficult for sea creatures with external shells or skeletons to develop their structures, creatures such as corals, planktons, and crabs may even start to dissolve when the pH levels are too high (Dorey, 2015). This poses a major threat to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, affecting the food chain from plankton to the fish at the top, and ultimately damaging the ecosystem. Coral reefs are sensitive even to the slightest changes in ocean temperatures, along with the ocean’s acidity, the coral reefs are unable to grow properly nor survive storms, resulting in the mortality of certain areas of the Great Barrier Reef (Dorey, 2015). It is expected that 95% of the existing coral reefs may be lost by 2050, and creatures that rely on the reefs for shelter will suffer (Dorey, 2015). Australia’s loss in its ocean resources and Great Barrier Reef will impact the ecosystems, affecting all life as climate change occurs too

The coral reef’s ecosystem are in major threat of the current bleaching events. Coral reefs are the main marine environment, which includes a variety of over 4,000 fish, and 800 different type of hard coral (“Corals”). Over 25 percent of marine animals are supported by the coral environment (“Coral Reefs”). The reefs are a key element of the ocean’s ecosystem (“Coral Reef Destruction”). Water temperatures are estimated to keep rising in the decades to come, which intensifies coral bleaching and other problems like black band disease, and white plague. These illnesses cause a majority of the coral to die, which will then lead to their ecosystem to plummet (“Global Warming”). Research as estimated that one to eight million organisms are yet unknown to scientists

It is estimated that by the end of the century, climate change and warmer oceans will kill coral reefs. Lubofsky follows the studies of graduate student Hannah Barkley in this article. Hannah Barkley has been studying coral health in the western Pacific. She investigates how coral reefs respond to climate change and which corals can survive in this climate change. Coral reefs “provide habitats for 25 percent of all marine species” (Lubofsky 28) and protect shorelines from storm damage. Barkley moved her research from “Cape Cod to the Rock Islands of Palau to study reef communities” (Lubofsky 28) since temperature and acidity have risen in some Palauan bays. To obtain the temperatures in the Palauan reefs, Barkley and her colleagues set up a network of underwater temperature sensors around the barrier reef and inside the lagoons. One of Barkley’s advisors, Cohen, found that “ocean warming affects coral reefs in at least two ways” (Lubofsky 29). First, an increase in temperature by 1oC can break down the symbiotic relationship between the coral and algae causing the corals to become bleached and die. Coral bleaching happens when the symbiotic relationship is gone and photosynthesis ceases to occur. Second, warming “stratifies the ocean into warmer surface layers and denser,

Climate change is gradually making the coral and sea life in the reef become warmer, this is due to the sudden rise in greenhouse gasses which is creating a hotter world for us. ‘’The global surface warming trend for 1997–2015 is approximately 0.14°C per decade’’. If this trend continues it will then eventually heat up the ocean too much and then all sea life will slowly die out. ‘’Scientists project a significant loss of biodiversity within a decade, and at worst a 95 percent decrease in the distribution of Great Barrier Reef species by late this century’’. This is what could happen if we don’t find a solution to this

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.

Changes in the environment have had a negative effect on the health of the Great Barrier Reef. Development of coastal areas around the Great Barrier Reef and other land use has hurt the health of the reef. The effect of global warming has altered water temperatures which have killed off algae with which live on the reef and that has led to coral whitening. Contaminated water from farms and surrounding land development has disrupted the pH balance of the water by introducing more acid into the water, which does not allow proper growth. Overfishing can alter the food cycle and change the patterns on how the reef gathers food. Marine scientists are concerned that the Great Barrier Reef is vulnerable to man negative outside

Global declines in coral reef abundance are closely associated with increasing human pressures (Hughes et al., 2003 and Pandolfi et al., 2003). Projected trends of ocean warming and acidification will exacerbate coral reef degradation, creating adverse human and ecological consequences in locations such as the Hawaiian Islands where economic benefits of coral reefs are estimated to exceed $360 million yr−1 (Cesar and Van Beukering, 2004 and Nicholls et al., 2007). Corals face additional local stressors which may intensify climate change induced effects and act synergistically to alter benthic community structure (Ateweberhan et al., 2013 and Smith et al., 2001). The impact of local stressors such as water pollution on coral health will rise as anthropogenic disturbances persist in the coastal environment.

Current overall ocean temperatures have warmed up so much to the point of causing enough heat stress on the coral reefs, which makes it even more vulnerable to bleaching. Although coral can in fact recover, the growth rate won’t be able to catch up to the rate of bleaching events if these warming patterns continue. Acidification is also another factor that makes coral reef recovery difficult, and it is caused by increase in carbon in the atmosphere, which acidifies oceans making hard for coral to absorb the building blocks needed for skeletal structure. The main point of the article is to bring awareness to the public about the effects that pollution and green gases can have in coral reefs and the danger that it poses in a long-term if we don’t do something about

Because the ocean is slowly warming, it has been causing damage to coral reefs (“What Climate Change Means for Guam”). The warming waters cause harm to the algae within the waters and in the ecosystem. The harm of the algae has been causing damage to the coral reefs and is leading to a high decline around the world (“What Climate Change Means for Guam”). If most of the coral reef systems were to die out, it would disrupt a lot of other animals living within these ecosystem. Hundreds of species of fish would go without a habitat, and would either be forced to move somewhere else, or just die off. Even though rising water temperatures seem like a miniscule thing, it ends up affecting millions of species, and may lead to many new endangered animals.

Coral bleaching has increased dramatically over the past 50 years, as the oceans temperature and acidification has risen, all a result of the increasing amounts of CO2. “Rising Carbon Dioxide levels in the world’s oceans due to climate change combined with rising sea temperatures, could accelerate coral bleaching, destroying some reefs before 2050” (Sayer, 2008). Susannah Sayler (Australian scientist) tested this theory on 30 large aquarias in the waters off Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Using CO2 and temperatures predicted for the middle and end of the century, the scientists found ocean acidification from CO2, which reduces coral calcification, had the potential to increase bleaching and the death of reef-building organisms (Perry,

Due to global warming many of the coral reefs have been dying out. Due to this many fish species will be affected. Reefs are also described as underwater rainforest because they provide a habitat for one out of every four fish. “Scientist expect that more than 90% of coral reefs will die by 2050.” If global warming is not stopped then all the coral reef will die and so will the fish inhabiting them. Even an increase in a few degrees can cause the reefs to lose their color, and if the temperature keeps increasing then they will die. Some steps that scientists are trying to make happen are keeping the more tolerant species alive by reducing the stress that coral reefs are exposed to.

Tropical coral reefs are predicated to be increasingly under threat of the rising acidity and warmth of our oceans, due to climate change (Bellard et., 2012).

Sadly, our coral reefs are dying everywhere. According to scientists over ninety percent of our coral reefs will die by 2050. Whether or not global warming increases or completely stops it is so far that these numbers remain. Just