Keys National Marine Sanctuary

When you think of the Gulf of Mexico the first thing you don’t think of is coral reefs. You don’t even think of it as place to go surfing. If you ask a surfer what a reef is, they would probably say something that gets in my way while surfing. Reefs being either large or small, have grown for over thousands of years. The build-up of limestone or calcite have given way to magnificent structures that many marine animals call home (Science). Reefs are communities in the ocean where more than hundreds of different ocean species live (Moran). These reefs in the ocean become a community that live alongside each other which allows them to grow. Whether the reef is a place to live, find shelter or a place eat, the reefs of the Gulf of Mexico

Only 100 miles off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, there is a marine ecosystem teeming with life. This ecosystem is called the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). FGBNMS is a coral reef that monitored and preserved by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA sees the FGBNMS as a valuable natural resource that we need to protect. The intent of this memo is to identify the resources that FGBNMS provides, what policies are in place to protect those resources, what effect these policies have had, and what actions to take from this point forward. Fortunately, the policies regarding this natural resource are accomplishing the goal of protecting this reef, so I do not recommend to many changes to the existing policies, except for a few slight changes.

There are many different varieties of coral, each varying in structure. There are Four classes of species of coral, each has its own method of harvesting. One species of coral is LPS and SPS, which means large-polyp stoney and small-polyp stoney. Aquarists write articles informing people about the structure of frogspawn coral, “ they are LPS corals that develop multiple branching heads connected to a single trunk like structure” (Gosnell, 82). Frogspawn is a

Coastal reefs are destroyed by sediment. Erosion caused by construction (both along coasts and inland), mining, logging, and farming is leading to increased sediment in rivers. This ends up in the ocean, where it can 'smother' corals by depriving them of the light needed to survive. The destruction of mangrove forests, which normally trap large amounts of sediment, is exacerbating the problem. Some tourist resorts and infrastructure have been built directly on top of reefs, and some resorts empty their sewage or other wastes directly into water surrounding coral reefs. Fishing operations have expanded to, quite literally, every corner of the ocean over the last 100 years, due to the fact that technology now exists that enables humans to find and catch every single fish in the oceans, no matter where they are located on the planet. This affects the ecological balance of coral reef communities, warping the food chain and causing effects far beyond the directly overfished

The COTS are usually an important part of maintaining the balance of the coral reef ecosystem’s, as it would feed off the faster growing

Less than 10% of the Caribbean reefs are showing live coral cover. (Harvey) Coral reefs can only tolerate a narrow range of temperatures. If the water around them warms by just a couple degrees and lasts more than a week, they are likely to bleach. There are a lot of causes of coral bleaching: change in ocean temperature, overexposure to sunlight, runoff and pollution, and extreme low tides. The main one is the rising ocean temperature. When there is a storm, runoff water could carry pollutants and toxic to the ocean water, causing coral that lives off-shore to bleach. Shallow coral reefs could be exposed to a lot of sunlight, causing them to bleach. And when there is low tide, coral reefs are exposed to the air, causing them to bleach. Overall, coral is very fragile and they have not mutated or evolved to improve this yet. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with the algae zooxanthellae that live in their tissue. The algae is not the primary food source for them, but also gives them their

Coral reefs are created in shallow tropical waters. The coral reefs make skeletons for itself, and eventually the skeletons build up to create coral reefs. Coral reefs provide habitat for lots of fish and other ocean creatures. By 2050 coral reefs are thought to be extinct due to warmer water damaging the corals. Although the warmer weather causes damage to the coral, coral reefs grow best in water that range between 70-85 fahrenheit.

The most beautiful ecosystem, coral reefs, are dying. Fortunately, there are policies in place to protect our reefs like the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. However, these polices alone aren’t enough to protect and restore our reef ecosystems. I propose that to preserve the reefs, we increase our protection by growing the amount of National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS), encouraging and funding scientific research, improving partnerships, and enhancing the public education and involvement. This can be accomplished in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) through continuation and improvement of established programs within the United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Bleaching occurs when the corals are exposed to warming waters. The heat causes the corals to release their internal photosynthetic algae. This algae is normally used by reef-building creatures as food, but once released, it’s gone and causing many of these reef-building creatures to die. One article suggests,”Bleaching events often result in the exodus of sixty to ninety percent of a coral’s zoolanthellae mass. By 2030, more than 90 percent of the world's coral reefs will be endangered by bleaching.” The beauty of the reef is slowly being destroyed by this climate change

Coral reefs have been around for thousands of years, recently now many are being damaged beyond repair. Around two-thirds of coral reefs worldwide have serious damage and are under big threat. Destructive fishing and overfishing affect the ecological balance of coral reefs and will lead to damage of the habitat. While pollution, careless tourism and climate change are some more major issues for coral reefs today. Coral reefs are important to us because they support enormous biodiversity, but they also provide many goods and are very valuable.

The coral reefs is home to a variation of marine life. The report says that the study recorded 73 reef fish species and that even with the condition in the river the coral reef seemed healthy. In oceanography, I learned how important coral reefs are to marine animal, humans and the planet. Also, I learned that it takes years for coral reefs to grow. And how

According to NOAA a coral reef is “a ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral.” Stony coral polyps secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton that over many years builds up to create the foundation which all coral lives on. These limestone remains are the building blocks for coral colonies supporting millions of polyps which can weigh several tons. Having said that, coral reefs grow very slowly about 0.5cm-2cm per year, meaning that all damage and death coral colonies experience will take a long time to repair. (NOAA 2)

The issue that this poses for coral is the speed in which the oceans are rising. Because of the coral’s long life span they simply do not have the capacity to evolve a tolerance to these dramatically changed conditions in time. When the sea surface temperature is elevated the corals react to the stress by expelling their symbiotic zooxanthellae, which results in coral bleaching. If the bleaching is mild or short-term, corals can recover as algae recolonize, but if the bleaching lasts too long, corals starve to death.

Polyps are the individual animals that make up the coral colony. They are essentially a round animal with a mouth in the middle and a ring of tentacles around the mouth. The tentacles possess stinging cells (called nematocysts) and can be used to sting, paralyze, and catch prey. They also share a communal skeleton that is made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The calcium carbonate is collected from the water column, and in a closed system (like a fish tank) this must be dosed daily. Proper levels of calcium and alkalinity are essential for overall health of the reef.

To our eyes we see a beautiful, diverse, colorful reef that adds beauty to the ocean and to the fishes. Others see a peaceful bed for the oceans floor. Creature on the other hand see a shelter, and protection from people or bigger animals that lurk for their pray. Coral reefs aren’t made for its scenery, but as an ecosystem for many plants and animals. They do not only help the animals but serve to people as important sources of income, food, protection, and new medicines of mankind. Coral reefs are less than 1 percent of the ocean floor, but support 25% of all marine life, shown by a study from national oceanic and atmospheric administration on www.noaa.gov. Coral reefs are often referred to as the, “rainforest of the sea,” due to having the same purpose as a rainforest by being an essential means of shelter and protection to plants and animals, and being a savior to the people, the economy, and the environments.