of Example a bright yellow Polyp
Areas such as the Great Barrier Reef are habitats for many wildlife and organisms. It receives the right amount of ocean temp. and sunlight.
Made up of Polyps which are tentacled animals that connect to the reef by a layer of living tissue Algae lives inside that living tissue and is what produces the vibrant colors and feed the polyps Polyps secrete limestone to build the skeletons of the reef Found in temperate and tropical waters Has to have very specific temperature to live Need access to light in order to photosynthesize
Comments Since coral reefs need a very specific water temperature to live, it shows the impact of the global temperature rising only one or two degrees. It might not seem like a lot, but it could result in the extinction of coral reefs since they need such a stable and specific water temperature. Sources 1. Coral Reefs (March 9th, 2004), from "Exploring the Environment," http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/coralreef/CRcoralreefs/html 2. Coral: Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable? (Retrieved Feb. 21), from "Ocean World," http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral1.htm 3. The Great Barrier Reef, (Retrieved Feb. 20), from "Wildlife Show", http://www.bindonart.com/wildlife.htm
Global Warming causes El Nino 1997 1998?
And El Nino 2002?
of the world's population have been destroyed or extensively damaged El Nino 1997 1998: led to unusual warm water in the Pacific, destroying 16% of world's reef's El Nino 2002: bleached 95% of individual reefs across parts of western pacific Some species are bouncing back, however, will take 20 years for recovery In the long term, only hardier, less diverse coral tissues will survive, most likely Thus, many of the beautiful colors and details could end up not being present in the future Global Warming Pro's and Con's:
Pro's:
1. Sea level rise may allow some coral species to flourish in areas not available before Warmer temperature speeds up calcification process Warmer waters would add extra areas where reefs can expand
Con's:
1. These good causes may not be enough to outweigh the negatives due to other factors Warmer waters also nourish the enemies of reefs Thus, along with coral bleaching, warmer waters will help the enemies as much, or more than aiding the reefs.
2. 3.
2. 3.
My Comments: Surprisingly, there are many positive aspects of Global Warming toward the reefs. However, the very aspects that allow coral reefs to grow, also limit them, and can eventually deteriorate them.
Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 Global Warming, (Retrieved Feb.19), from "Gemzies", http://global-warming.gemzies.com/photo/ Global Consequences of El Nino, (Retrieved Feb. 20), from "NOAA", http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/impacts.html Global Warming, (Retrieved Feb. 19), from "John Roy Abenaza", http://jroy.abenaza.com/2008/04/23/global-warming/ Beauty of Coral Reef, (Retrieved Feb. 19), from "LA Times", www.latimes.com/local Henson, Robert . (2008). The Rough Guide to Climate Change. London: Penguin Books. Pg. 125-127
1. Agricultural Fertilizer
2. Overfishing
Graph above shows that the largest cause for Coral Reef destruction in Indonesia is Destructive Fishing. Coral there are under a high amount of 3. threat. Sediment Deposit
Human activity: tourism, boating, scuba diving, etc Spikes in water temperature Agricultural fertilizer. Nitrogen and phosphorus deposits from offshore can encourage the growth of seaweed Seaweed grows at the expense of polyps and encroaches upon the reefs. Overfishing Also promotes seaweed growth Removes fish and other organisms that feed off seaweed Sediment Deposits from rivers can block needed sunlight Interfere with polyps feeding Can bury a reef whole Logging and other activities have produced "enough sediment downstream to put more than 20% of the coral reefs off Southeast Asia at risk, according to the World Resources Institute." (The Rough Guide to Climate Change, pg 127)
My Comments: Global Warming isn't the only thing that can hurts/limits coral reefs. However, increased ocean temperatures and acidity coupled with growing sediment/fertilizer deposits and overfishing is a recipe for disaster.
Sources: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Coral Reefs, (Retrieved Feb. 19), from Students.Stewards, http://www.students.stedwards.edu/cnaik/ Fertilizers and Soil Additives, (Retrieved Feb. 19), from indiamart, http://www.indiamart.com/company/566241/ Australia State of the Environment 2001, (Retrieved Feb. 19), from Australian Government: Department of the Environment, http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/report/coasts.html The Estuary, (Retrieved Feb. 21), from Chimacum Creek Stream Restoration, http://www.biomes.net/presentation.htm Henson, Robert . (2008). The Rough Guide to Climate Change. London: Penguin Books. Pg. 125-127
Coral reefs harbor just as much life as a rainforest
In many parts of the world this is no longer the case
The amount of species that depend on Coral Reefs are many. Each support another animal among the food-chain.
If water gets warmer, it helps pathogens that will hurt coral reefs Ocean acidification lowers carbonate available for reef building and erode their skel...