The Use Of Cyanide On The Reefs

Coral reefs not only protect coastlines and beaches from wave damage and erosion, but also are the basis for the fishing and tourism industries. Dying reefs is a worldwide problem, and evidence shows that 10% of the entire world’s coral has died, and 60% will die by 2020 if existing conditions continue (NOAA 2000). The reason that the Australian Great Barrier Reef is so important is because not only is it the largest barrier reef in the world, but it is also one of the most evolved models of how to best manage and protect the world’s largest reef system (Ornitz 1996). It extends for 2,340 kilometers (km), covers 345,000 square km and contains 2,900 reefs, 300 coral cays and 600 continental islands (White 1999). Historically, it has been ahead of the rest of the world in terms of recognizing and addressing problems associated with reef degradation.

Coral Reefs ecosystems only covered two tracks up to the 1970-80’s and they were biological and geological. From those years, we have been able to study and learn more about coral reefs. We have found that these reefs exist and a continued form such as none reef-building coral ecosystems can have fast structures being built. There is still quite a bit of things we will need to learn such as determining if coral communities are dependent on the abilities of reef building. They are used for structure and providing space to the ecosystem of the reef itself, having biodiversity, and to support the reef in all capabilities. Coral reefs are one of the most distinguish ecosystem in the world, but these are getting threatened by ocean acidification.

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

The Florida Reef provides many benefits to our world. The coral living in it are part of the phylum Cnidaria which a group of invertebrates. Though it may provide many benefits to us, we provide many dangers to it. Our debris and overfishing can damage the Florida reef along with many other coral reefs. Not only that, due to over excessive tourists and their recklessness, we are endangering the Florida Reef even more. So how can human action improve the ocean ecosystem that is the home to the many species of the Florida reef? One is by polluting less. We can also fish more carefully and help reduce runoff. We can help the Florida Reef and it can continue to benefit us.

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.

Finally, there are millions of species who live in the coral reef. It is used both for shelter and for a food supply. There is a vast amount of trawlers that come through each year to dredge the ocean. But think about what would happen if the coral reefs disappear. All the species that depend on the reef for shelter would die. And all the species who hunt for food there would also die. Dredging the ocean rips apart the coral reefs wether that was meant to happen or not. If the natural beauty of the reefs and the security it brings to animals dissapeared, it would be a major

The Great Barrier Reef is distressed by numerous impacts. The reef is the world’s biggest living creature, fully made of coral stretching out to 2, 300km² and is also located just off the coast of Queensland. The prime problem for the reef is overfishing. Overfishing is severely intervening the ecosystem, which is in the reef. This is killing off the fish and gradually killing animals like sharks and starfish by devouring the food chain. The reef needs a good, stable and diverse amount of fish to sustain being healthy to continue growing upwards in sea-life. If one species of fish were to be extinct from the reef, it would then sluggishly take out another species after another, continuously until The Great Barrier Reef’s demise. Many of the sea creatures are protected by international law, to help protect them from the hard ecosystem we’ve put them in, with trawling and fishing being one of their biggest encounters and most lethal ones.

The reef’s fish are slowly but surely declining due to overfishing, and the Australian Parliament passed a law that prohibits fishing in ⅓ of the reef, but it is still an issue (Kummer 76). The fish and other animals are being threatened by coastal runoff of wastes toxic to them, coral bleaching, and the invasions of crown-of-thorns starfish. The coral bleaching is caused by wastes in the water and the sun. This is slowly making the coral decline, and the GBRMPA is trying everything they can to prevent this (75). As for the crown-of-thorns starfish, outbreaks of them occur about every 17 years, and half of the coral decline is because of them (“About”). During the 1960s, plans were made for mining and drilling on the reef. These plans were never followed through with, but it is unclear whether it will happen in the future or not. This could damage the reef, and the GBRMPA is still trying to shut the plan down today (Kummer 55). Lastly, the Great Barrier Reef lies in a tropical zone threatened by typhoons frequently. These typhoons really damage the coral and the animals that live on the reef. The future of the Great Barrier Reef is unclear, but the GBRMPA is still managing it with great care today (Hoffman

“Coral reefs are extremely important for biodiversity, providing a home to over 25% of all marine life. They are also vital for people and business. They provide nurseries for many species of commercially important fish, protection of coastal areas from storm waves, and are a significant attraction for the tourism industry”

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

There are 4,000 species of fish and 800 species of hard coral. Healthy coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on earth. Coral reefs also protect shores against erosion by causing large waves to break and lose some of their force before reaching land. In contrast, coral reefs are one of the most endangered natural resources. Throughout the world, individuals have came to the self-realization that these reefs are dying. Native families on certain islands in Southern Caribbean are no longer able to catch their food close to the shore-line like they once could. Declining reef health is harmful not only to creatures inhabiting coral ecosystems, but also to the human populations that depend upon them. Coral reef depletion is caused inadvertently by air pollution and greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases cause a change in the PH of the rain. Since coral is a basic substance, acid rain can cause the coral to dissolve away. America should step up to change what is happening for several reasons. These can include because of the reliance on fish for consumption, and the economic gain due to trade or purchase. America is the most powerful country and should therefore take the initiative on these types of issues. Our country has went this period of years without any criminal punishment or regulation for the destruction of our reefs.From the year 1996 to the year 2002, coral reefs onent from 70% coral coverage to below 10% coral coverage. With America’s dependence on fish biodiversity & the supply demand thereof, one can see that allowing coral reefs to undergo such a decline would be a prime example of an unjust action. Boats would purposely run over top of such ecosystems & tear up the homes of millions of organisms. When individuals do this, the economy will directly or

In "The Reefs" Sophie is worrying about solving this environmental issue. She is talking to herself about this issue. The saying "You're just a high school kid" and "What am I doing...I have been warned". After a snorkeling trip, she finally knows what to do. After having her friend Sam over she finally has the biological solution in hand. After her presentation, she gets a resounding

The short term environmental consideration of building reef resilience include components such as nature; intensity and length of time of effects that will be set in place so that groups of people, animals of species and homes where they reside will recover from effects more expeditious and consequently, sanction the community to perpetuate functioning at a positive rate. Fish are a great benefit to the environment and 1,625 species of fish, virtually 10% of the world's fish species lives in the Great Barrier Reef so, it is highly recommended that we should maintain the reef and look after the other species that live in this world history listed reef. The long term of building reef toughness can include limits in species and this could

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.