Essay On Coral Bleaching

The Cultural Effects of Coral Bleaching

Located in warm, shallow waters, one species is near it’s extinction. Scientific studies has anticipated this for years, but many people do not understand the _damage this obsolescence would have on the environment. An essential animal in the ocean, coral, is, “home to 25% of all marine fish species,” according to The Reef Resilience Network, which specializes in helping save coral. Corals have very special tolerances to things like temperatures, salinity levels, and pollution, which causes coral stress, or bleaching. When bleaching occurs because of the unsuitable conditions, the corals expel the algae living in them, turns white, and dies, When corals die, thousands of sea creatures living around reefs

Other than the negative affect coral bleaching has on jobs and the job industry, and on ecotourism in _ locations, there are many other useful coral _. Corals provide people with food, medicines, resources, and protection. Whether caught or bought, fish and marine animals that live on corals provide humans with a source of food. If corals die, many human ecosystems that rely on fish could hit hunger. Renee Cho of State of the Planet says, “more than half of new cancer drug research is focused on marine organisms,” (# 13) and there are probably thousands more researchers could find by researching healthy corals. Without these medications, a lot more of the human population will be in danger without medication to have when they are sick. Cho also tells us that reefs provide us with construction materials like limestone, and shoreline protection through waves, storms, and flood. The corals act as a buffer by forming barriers to protect the shorelines. According to The Reef Resilience Network, “500 million people rely on coral reefs for food, coastal protection, and livelihoods. ,”, but, “Losing the coral reefs would have profound social and economic impacts on many countries, especially small island nations like Haiti, Fiji, Indonesia, and the Philippines that depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods.”(#7) (add