Factors Affecting The Coral Triangle

Global warming has and is still negatively affecting coral due to the rising temperature of the ocean. The oceans temperature rose 0.18° fahrenheit every decade between 1970 and 2010 due to global warming (Fujita). Even though this doesn’t seem like much of a change, this extra heat makes the sensitive coral more susceptible to illnesses (Le Page 37). The unusually warm waters makes the corals expel food-producing algae which causes the coral to lose its color, turn white, and die due to the lack of nutrition (Markey 1). This is called bleaching (Fujita).

Their presence in the ocean is usually seasonal, responding to the availability of prey, which is seasonal in most places, increasing with temperature and sunshine in the spring and summer (Dawson and Jacobs 2001). Jellyfish size ranges from 10cm to 3m and weighs around 200kg, their size already increase their habitat in the ocean which has become a problem for fishing companies. Secondly, jellyfish feed on anything they come across, it all depends on the structure of the jellyfish. This impact causes a reduction in the ocean species, because it is many jellyfish that needs to feed on something. Thirdly, human problems resulting from jellyfish blooms, Stings from pelagic cnidarians because discomfort and sometimes medical emergencies for swimmers and waders primarily in warm marine waters worldwide (reviewed in Fenner & Williamson 1996, Burnett 2001).

Ocean acidification is affecting marine life immensely. When our oceans keep acidifying it causes carbonate ions to be less plentiful and these ions are an important part for marine life such as oysters, clams, sea urchins, and corals to get there structures built and maintained such as their shells and coral skeletons(1). Ocean acidification can also affect some fish 's ability to detect predators putting them at a greater risk and causing the entire food web to be in danger(1). The organisms that are having the most trouble adapting to rising acidity is corals because they produce calcium carbonate to make their rocky outer layer that forms coral reefs(2). Coral reefs are the beautiful ecosystems that are booming with life but since the acidity has been rising and so has the overall temperature of the ocean the coral has been bleaching and has not been able to grow well or even stay alive(2).

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

Sea-level rise and changes in storm patterns are affecting coastal development activities. Local affection of land-based sources of stress will occur in combination with regional and global stressors, like climate change, land-use practices, and freshwater inputs, further threatening the survival of coral reef ecosystems. Reducing the impact of coastal development is critically important, and can be reduced by effective planning and land use regulation. Coastal development nearly threatens 25% of the world’s coral reefs, in southeast Asia, the Indian ocean, and the Atlantic. (Editing) The popularity the three cruise ships increased because of that, the marine environment is also affected.

Also, the ocean filters the air we breathe, and like said before, supplies 80% of the oxygen we breathe. Pollution causes the ocean not to function properly and oxygen levels can and will diminish. The ocean is also home to medicines that treat heart disease, cancer, and more. The plants or animals that give us these medicines are endangered as long as marine pollution exists. The remedies can be lost causing more people to die because of the lost medicines.

Coral reef systems in the Caribbean are presently stressed due to coral bleaching, overfishing, global climate change, and disruptive algal growth (Wilkinson and Souter 2008). The addition of a piscivorous, predatory invasive species, such as lionfish, will cause permanent damage to that ecosystem. Lionfish have caused a reduction in forage fish biomass, an increase in algal growth due to their removal of herbivorous fish, and an increase in competition with native fish (Morris et al. 2009). Lionfish have few, if any, natural predators due to the presence of venomous dorsal, ventral and anal spines (Halstead et al.

Title The Loss of Coral Coverage due to Nutrient Rich Water Introduction (500 words) This report will explore the global issue of an increase in nutrient richness in coral reefs and the impacts this has had to coral coverage. Coral reefs play a vital part in marine life as they home an abundance of marine wildlife. They attract such a vast population because of their coral seabeds which provide food for a great deal of marine wildlife. Records show that there are 128 documented corallivorous species of fish on our Earth today, with approx. 33.3% of them relying solely on coral for their diet (Cole, Pratchett and Jones, 2008).

Question 1 Overfishing which occurs witch occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction. This has serious consequences that can affect not only the balance of life in the oceans but also the social and economic well-being of populations who depend on fish for their way of life. Overfishing in Freshwater Fishing is a crucial source of livelihood in developing nations where they can mostly fish inland and also as a main source of food that provided protein. Overfishing has lead to some freshwater fish to become extinct especially those that are found close to the surface of the water that are large and can be easily captured. The Mekong giant catfish, which is possibly the world’s largest freshwater fish, is seriously threatened by overfishing.

I choose this article because I think it’s really cool that we are finding ways to repair the coral reefs. The coral reefs are already in danger of extinction because of global warming, so finding a way to try and repair them is great. Ever since the Industrial revolution, the oceans have been taking in more carbon dioxide. The quantities of the gas taken in by the oceans are large enough that now some areas of the oceans have become more acidic, a phenomenon called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is harming many groups of animals, including coral reefs.