Coral Reef Case Study

Although the impact on reef fish is still uncertain. It is however, known that reef fish are losing habitats due to the impacts on corals. The wellbeing, reproduction and overall health of fish due to chemical runoff over time, is still being investigated (Amelia S. Wenger, 2015). Research has identified that chemical runoff is increasing nutrient levels in the water. It is believed that this increase in nutrients is connected to the increase in crown of thorns starfish population, which poses another threat to the reef by impacting coral cover (Amelia S. Wenger, 2015). Coral diversity, calcification, coral cover and coral development are all being impacted by chemicals reaching the reef (Amelia S. Wenger, 2015). If the amount of chemicals reaching the reef continues to increase, the reef will continue to diminish, coral species will become extinct and reef fish will lose their habitat, forcing them to relocate or

There are four main classes of coral reefs, as broken down by scientists. These are Atolls, Fringing Reefs, Barrier Reefs, and Patch reefs. Atolls are found in the form of rings, and are mostly found in the middle of the sea. They form when islands amid fringing reefs sink into the sea or the sea level rises around them. The fringing reefs continue to grow and eventually form circles with lagoons inside. Fringing Reefs are found to grow near and around coastlines, islands, and continents. They are separated from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons. Of all the given categories, this is the most common. Barrier Reefs are found parallel to a coastline, and are separated by deeper, wider lagoons. When in shallow water, they reach the waters surface

When the water of the sea becomes warmer due to higher temperatures which diminishes the oxygen content, the coral expels the algae that exists within their tissues causing it to turn completely white. This results in coral bleaching. Thus, the elevating heat stress which results from high sea temperatures serves as the main factor that induced damage to the coral reefs. If the heat prevails, the reef may even die instead of recovering. Coral reefs provide home to a significant number of sea species and coral bleaching causes their habitats to destroy completely and effect the marine life adversely. Thus it is much better to prevent coral bleaching than to accomplish its recovery which may take many

Primary consumers are normally herbivores therefore they feed off of producers. There is a wide variety of herbivorous animals that reside in the Great Barrier Reef. These include invertebrates such as molluscs and echinoderms, as well as certain species of fish, the most notable being the parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, rabbitfishes, rudderfishes and damselfishes. The primary consumer’s role in the Great Barrier Reef’s food chain consists of them feeding off of the primary producers such as coral, therefore transferring the energy from the producer to consumer. The primary consumer only obtains around 10% of the producer’s energy as they may not eat the whole entity or energy might be lost through waste. The population of the largest and most significant vertebrate plants feeds, including sea turtles, dugongs, have been severely decimated by the impacts of humans on the reef. The loss of these vital animals has and will more severely disturb the coral reef food web in a significant manner, although the specific impacts are not clear

Oceans are peaceful, majestic, and filled with amazing and vibrant color. A lot of the prostown beauty in oceans can be credited to coral reefs. Lately though, natural coral reefs have been dying for various reasons, and some people believe that artificial reefs can help not only the natural reefs, but other surrounding ecosystems in their environment. Various articles use rhetorical techniques in hopes of enhancing their articles about whether or not artificial reefs are helping or harming the oceans. The first article, “Concern Lingers on Success of Artificial Reefs”, was written by Charles Q. Choi, and for Live Science, looks at both the pro and con side of artificial reefs. “The Disadvantages of Artificial Coral Reefs” from Pets on Mom.me,

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and complex habitats. They are one of the most interesting and colorful ecosystems found in the marine environment. They are very unique in many different ways and a crucial support for human life. They play also a very important role in the marine life such as giving shelter and food for millions of species including fishes, crabs, or shrimps. They support 33% of marine fish species. They also have specific and certain conditions to be formed, and to survive. They are also known as the “rainforest of the oceans” because of its huge diversity. In this research paper we will explore more about coral reefs and their importance.

Calculations for tourism for the year of 2015 are unavailable at this time, but for the year of 2014, the reef received a total of 2.19 million visitors. It is a well – known piece of information that there is a global climate change going on where there is a rise in CO2 in the atmosphere due to higher emissions of fossil fuel and more deforestation occurring. The ocean then absorbs more of this CO2, which in turn raises the acidity, which in turn creates a poor environment for the coral to live and recover from bleaching that has already occurred. This change in acidity also affects the calcium carbonate that corals use to build themselves. (“Climate Hot Map- Global Warming Effects Around the

These banks contain coral rubble, seagrass and macroalgae with other invertebrate taxa, which play a key part in the ecosystem. The bank systems contain essential fish habitats, which provide sheltering and foraging grounds. Past studies have indicated these fish assemblages showed a high diversity and biomass of coral reefs. Most of the biomass in the Florida Keys ecosystem is made up of species that stay in channels for most of the day. These signs show that the bank systems are important for the FKNMS for providing a structural support and high productivity for the biodiversity. Exploitation of these essential fishes and pollution of the water could greatly destroy the bank systems and cause a rippling effect among the ecosystem. Knowing how important these bank systems are, they should receive additional protection through management zones. New management actions will help protect fish and stocks, to ensure the stability of recreational and commercial fisheries. To ensure a higher water quality and sustainable habitats, anchoring activities and vessel discharges will be restricted in the management zones. Some management zones containing sensitive wildlife habitats will be restricted to public

Temperatures reaching highs of 30 degrees Celsius, we expected nothing less, summers have been getting unbearable and winters are nothing to what they used to be. Today started with a warm, gentle breeze with off and on rainfalls this type of weather was typical.

One of the leading causes for reefs to be endangered is due to the invasive lionfish. The lionfish’s impulsive eating habits are threatening our sea life of the reefs and decreasing our fisheries economically. According to Lionfish Hunters, the green side includes the cleaners that maintain the health of the reef and the health of other fish such as “grazers.” The grazers are the parrotfish, goatfish, wrasses, surgeonfish, and tangs. (The Lionfish Hunters, web.) These fish help clean the algae that grow over the reef, lowers the algae levels to support enough oxygen for coral to grow, and to establish efficient space for baby coral. There are three main ideas of how we as a community and as a nation can attempt to eliminate lionfish: spread

Coral reefs are among the most riches ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs only cover less than two percent of the ocean surface (Fujise 2014). Within these coral reefs, corals have a coevolutionary relationship with zooxanthellae. Coral reefs rely heavily on zooxanthellae for photosynthetic byproducts that are required for calcium carbonate production for the corals to grow. Zooxanthellae, specifically Symbiodinium, are microalgae that live within the polyps of corals. Through the symbiotic relationship between corals and Symbiodinium, coral reefs are able to thrive in warm tropical ocean waters. However,

Coral Bleaching is caused when elevated seawater temperatures result in extensive coral loss. When the water becomes too warm coral will expel the algae living in their tissue, causing the coral to turn completely white. Pollution from urban or agricultural run-offs, sedimentation from undersea activity like dredging, and changes in the salinity are other contributors to coral bleaching. Although coral can survive the bleaching they are under more stress and are subject to mortality. This issue is not a new problem; coral bleaching has had a substantial effect on coral for many years. “In 2005, the U.S lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event”(National Ocean Service). Another article states that in January 2010, cold-water temperatures in the Florida Keys caused a coral bleaching event that resulted in some coral death. Researchers have evaluated the cold-stress of the water will make coral more susceptible to disease, in the same way warmer water impact coral. Luckily there are things that we can do to help stop this

In order for a coral reef to be productive and healthy, the water quality in the ocean should be maintained. Water quality not only affects coral reefs, but the other organisms that live on it and are involved with the natural food chain. Some of the factors that can influence water quality are nutrients, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, light, and chlorophyll present. Water is essential to every living organism because it helps with respiration, maintaining body temperature, digestion and provides energy. This experiment involved taking water samples from Ferry Reach off the BIOS dock and analyzing different factors to determine general conclusions about how water quality affects reef ecosystems.

Due to global warming the oceans water is heating and killing the coral reefs which is affecting the marine life. Of the coast of many southern hemisphere countries corals have damaged the ecosystem and the life cycle. Over the course of 1 year the reefs have minimized in size by around 30%, so in about 5 years it might not even be here. Throughout the years of the bleaching events people have been fighting to finally get their reefs back to where they should be, but with weather they can not control it has been a little challenging. Overall, coral bleaching is a big issue that needs to be addressed because the biggest living structure in the world might yet to be

Therefore, the impact of overfishing and illegal collecting of coral may destroyed the social and economic well-being of the coastal communities who depend on fish for their way of life. Beside, it is also direct overexploitation of fish, intertebrates, and algae for food and the aquarium trade, removal of a species or group of species impacting multiple trophic levels, bycatch and mortality of nontarget species, and change from coral to algal dominance due to reduction in herbivores (Reef Resilience Organisation,