Perhaps one of the most significant anthropogenic factors contributing to reef system collapse is not directly attributable to the practices of people within the Bahamas, but the people of the world as a whole. As industry grows stronger, fossil fuels continue to burn at exceedingly high rates, consumption reaches all time highs, and unsustainable livestock practices continue to emit high levels of methane, climate change has caused an increase in temperature worldwide. This increase in temperature has been largely absorbed by the Earth’s oceans, causing them to rise in temperature as well. Since 1880, ocean temperature has increased by 0.65 to 1.06°C. In the next 50 years, it is predicted that ocean temperatures could reach an increase up …show more content…
This often includes hunting invasive species such as the lionfish, relocating species to struggling reefs, and adjusting the makeup of the water to improve its quality. The Safina Center has recently been practicing a type of coral relocation, which requires that they break off a piece of a living coral from a healthy reef system, nurse it to health in a lab, and then place it in a struggling reef system with epoxy, in hopes that it will grow successfully and reboot the struggling system (Safina Center Staff 2016). Other projects include moving fish species to new reefs, urchins, and other species to fill in “gaps” in the ecosystem that have been created by anthropogenic factors. This direct involvement with coral reefs works in the short, but the long term effects of tampering with such a sensitive environment have yet to be recorded. This technique also does not offer solutions to the factors that cause coral reef failure, and is not the answer for long term …show more content…
These environments are at extreme risk however, as anthropogenic factors such as invasive species, runoff, overfishing, and global climate change harm them immensely. Although the true impact of the initiatives taken to solve these problems is largely untested due to how young they are, it seems clear that in order to promote the resilience of coral reefs and prevent the potential collapse of the Bahamas, all three techniques must be combined in a fashion that will maximise the possibility for sustainable reef ecosystems. By combining education and governmental policy, while supplementing those large scale changes with direct influence on reef health in order for it to survive, lasting resilience is a real
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
The ocean is two-thirds of our planet a vast blue landscape home to many biomes which according to Boyce Thorne-Miller “(ecosystem types) corresponding to sets of environmental conditions that vary with depth, latitude, and longitude” (16). However, the ocean and its biomes is under attack from the changing environment. We can see this through coral reef biomes as they make their home near the shores. Through coral reefs we can view the effects that these changes have on the ocean through how the coral reef biome is affected. Humans are a danger to the coral reefs and the wildlife that resides in the biome. The pollution being released into the environment is poisoning the coral and causes death and malformation to the wildlife. The ocean is changing due to global warming which is causing a change in the temperature and rising water levels leading to a change in the stabile areas coral can survive. The increasing acidification of the ocean is causing the coral reefs to die. I will be looking at the effects these issues cause to coral reefs biomes and the ocean to see the similarities in how they affect both.
"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.
In summary, in order to save the future of the Barrier Reef “we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and we need to make policies to protect the Barrier Reef. We also need shift away from power sources like different coal products.” The products that most people are using to this day pollute the air and slowly and slowly and damage the different types of reefs around the world; and we need to switch to renewable energy, because it is not as harsh to the environment as other products. If we do this we can save the Future of the Barrier Reef, Fringing reef, and the Atoll reef and all of the other reefs around the world.
Irreversible destruction is occurring to our coral reef system. The majority of this destruction is caused by the human race. It is important that the people of the world come together to determine how to keep our precious resources in tact for future generations.
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.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, is the most damaged coral reefs in the recent years. The biggest record of coral bleaching in history happened around March this past year. One way reserves are a positive impact on coral reefs is protecting them from the daily threat of humans it receives. “Coral reefs face numerous man-made threats, including development, pollution, global warming, unsustainable fishing practices, and marine debris” (Chapman). Reserves can be made in order to protect the coral reefs, do research on how to protect the reefs that are not in a reserve, and prevent coral bleaching. A reserve in Hawaii did just this back in 2000 in order to manage the coral reefs around the area. Technology now can be used positively to overcome the dangerous causes of global warming. The reserve should be used as an example to the human race to present the artificial facts of what each person does to the planet with their daily activities. In order to achieve protection to coral reefs through technology, is putting the work and effort to make a clean, green, and happy environment for not only the coral reefs but the entire environment surrounding
This is a huge issue for the Great Barrier Reef as it is a fragile ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most
Corals have existed for around 500 million years and are the second most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth (NOAA). The coral reefs are showing a decline in health due to human activities which, although well known, is often overlooked in favor of research on ecological aspects (Kittinger). Certain ocean areas that previously were home of coral species may no longer be an ideal climate for the corals to thrive. Whereas properly maintained aquariums could provide a more suitable habitat to encourage re-population (Gustavson). Two agencies that are very active, with differing viewpoints, on the coral reef conservation debate
The deterioration of coral reefs is mainly linked to human activities – 88% of coral reefs are threatened through various reasons as
Coral reefs play a major role in marine ecosystems throughout the world in a subtle way. They are a for all intents and purposes a rich source of food for many different organisms. They house and protect several different species and they mostly protect our coastlines. However, coral reefs face various concerns because of climate changes, and so it has been seen that coral blanching frequently causes the termination of reefs. In conjunction with environmental change, there are different elements that corals reefs confront regularly. Generally, few coral reefs suffer through infection, intrusive species and even an over development of algae. Different corals definitely close Florida, have demonstrated a real decrease in coral development
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of coral reefs is either an image of Nemo swimming through those finger-like plants in the ocean or a jumble of those plants we see on postcards and on television, thinking that one of them (but which one?) must be a coral reef. On the contrary, however, coral reefs are far from being plants but are in fact, an ecosystem filled with corals, both hard and soft, and endless reef species. The coral itself is made of many coral polyps, delicate limestone-secreting animals, which serve as a skeleton for the coral. The impact of these reefs on both marine life and humans is immense, but as of today, we have lost almost twenty to twenty-five percent of the world’s coral reefs and about another
Population growth and development has altered the coral reef environment. Destructive fishing practices, land-based sources of pollution such as agricultural runoff, and excessive coastal development all have detrimental effects on delicate reefs. Global warming due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may result in sea-level rise and