...their survival, this threat is coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is a growing issue for most reefs around the world, this is when coral turn white, or bleach, as they either die or become dormant. To try and manage this, governments initiate laws and restrictions to save the reef, yet people still continue to damage it both intentionally and unintentionally. Issue to Reef’s coral bleaching is the issue The issue to reefs is the human induced climate change that causes the water temperature and ocean acidification to rise. These cause the coral to be unable to live so it releases a substance called zooxanthellae, the substance which gives the coral colour, leaving the coral with a ‘bleached’ look. Another factor for coral bleaching is ocean acidification, this is when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The ocean has already absorbed 1/3 of the carbon dioxide and ½ of the fossil fuels from factories and other human activities....
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...temperature is on a constant rise. The temperature isn’t rising in drastic numbers, but it is gradually rising and causing problems in our oceans. There are three major ways these warm temperatures are affecting our oceans such as coral bleaching, fish migration, and ocean acidification. Coral bleaching is caused when water is too warm, which the warm water causes the coral to expel the algae living in their tissues turning it completely white. Many species live on and thrive in coral reefs, along with the coral reef providing protection for many animals. Consequently, mass coral bleaching results in the starvation and death of the corals that support the thousands of species that live on coral reefs. Coral bleaching also results in the declining in genetic and species diversity. The effects of coral bleaching cause an abundance of problems toward the ecosystem and the species living on that coral....
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...course the answer is yes, but it’s that same logic that applies to the dying coral of the Great Barrier Reef - if it dies but no one sees it, does it really die? Richard Vevers of The Ocean Agency knew the only way to help people understand the impact humans have on coral is to show them. The human impact Vevers, a British underwater photographer, returned to one of his favorite reefs in American Samoa to find that only a year later, it had turned pure white. The culprit? Coral bleaching. Global warming causes this deadly process, which killed approximately 29 percent of the Great Barrier Reef’s shallow-water coral last year alone. When the water becomes too warm it starves the coral, stealing its beautiful color and killing it....
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...People may not be aware of coral bleaching since it is happening below the surface. Coral bleaching is happening as the ocean temperature rises. This can affect many species and humans. Coral bleaching is when the coral tissue has turned white or “bleached”. Bleaching takes place when ocean water warms up, stressing the coral, which then causes them to expel zooxanthellae. When coral expel the zooxanthellae, they are exposing their white skeleton. Coral bleaching can also be caused by disease, increased light, pollution from the land and over fishing. Excrement of nutrients from farms and industrial chemicals are also a threat to coral reefs. Bleaching also leave coral prone to disease which can be lethal to coral reef communities. Bleaching can cause a great amount of death within coral reef communities because of disease increase. It can take some time before the corals can recover from bleaching. They can recover from bleaching if the temperature of the water decreases. Critical or long-term bleaching is most likely deadly. Almost one and a half square miles of reef bleached last year are now completely dead (NOAA, 2015)...
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...Coral Bleaching Imagine if you were on a trip to the great barrier reef. You went underwater and saw all kinds of pretty fish surrounded by colorful coral. Well, that could only happen if there wasn't coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is something that happens to kill coral and change its color. When this happens, it affects things that I will tell you about later on. There are also ways that coral bleaching could be prevented though. Coral bleaching has effects on many lives. Coral bleaching is when coral turns white and dies due to warm temperatures. When the ocean becomes too warm, sometimes due to global warming, coral turns white. According to NOAA, coral bleaching is caused by temperature change. This means that whenever the water gets too hot, it has an affect on the coral. Here's what happens. The organisms inside of the coral are photosynthetic. This means that the organisms use the sunlight to get nutrients for the coral. According to NOAA, ¨When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white¨ (https://diigo.com/0bbjlp ). This...
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...“Coral reefs are the most spectacular and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Complex and productive, coral reefs boast hundreds of thousands of species, many of which are undescribed by science. They are renowned for their beauty, biological diversity, and high productivity” (Hoegh-Guldburg 839). Global Warming and chemicals going into the ocean are causing coral to bleach. The coral reefs are dying causing fish to lose their habitat and wave action is becoming stronger. In order to correct the destruction created by globalization researchers are creating coral nurseries and replanting the coral, but the best option for the coral to survive, is to put a stop to global warming. Coral reefs have been shaping the ocean and its ecosystems for the...
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...prevailing issue for oceans being coral bleaching. Coral reefs represent less than point one percent of the world’s ocean floor and help support almost twenty-five percent of all marine species (Perry). The United States, since the nineties, has been working to improve the conditions of coral reefs. There are disagreements and opposing claims that coral bleaching stems from other factors besides fluctuating water temperatures. Coral reef bleaching is still a prevalent issue that the United States alongside other countries needs to work towards a more efficient solution in preserving oceanic life. The general public is informed on the progression of coral reef bleaching, but not the factors that cause the issue. People are choosing to be ignorant of the situation involving coral reefs by not taking action. The underlying problem could be resolved with the knowledge of existing relationships in the diverse habit. The National Oceanic and Administration has asserted that coral bleaching...
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...Coral’s Susceptibility to Bleaching based on the Symbiotic Relationship with their Zooxanthellae, Using DNA Sequencing Techniques http://www.wiki-reef.com/CoralSpecimen.aspx?cid=28 Elizabeth Velazquez Fall Quarter 2011 Luisa Marcelino, Timothy Swain Northwestern University, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium Abstract Coral samples were obtained from Shedd Aquarium to investigate the symbiotic relationship between the corals and their zooxanthellae under environmental stress. The zooxanthellae DNA were extracted, amplified, and sequenced. The sequences were then analyzed using Sequencher 5.0 and BioEdit where they were aligned individually and then against other sequences found in previous literature research. The aligned sequences were run in Genbank using the BLAST function to identify the zooxanthellae at the subclade level. Further research into current literature was done with the best matched subclades to our sequences to further investigate the thermal resilience of the zooxanthellae. It was found that thylakoid membrane lipid compositions as well as lipid energy reserves are correlated to bleaching susceptibility. Clade D symbionts have higher lipid energy reserves, allotting for more thermal resilience in comparison to clade C as well as increased abundances in D symbiont types among reefs after bleaching events. Bleaching susceptibility was also found to have variation within clades. More research is needed to fully understand the coral-zooxanthellae relationship...
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...Josh Steichen M. Bermas harmful effects of chemical changes are: -acid rain -rust -chemicals in an anti spot cream reacting with a silver necklace, turning it black -exhaust fumes -spoilage of foods -chemical fertilizers 1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants Our ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply. 2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation Our modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no end in sight to our massive consumer culture. 3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabeds Methane is another extremely...
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...Coral reefs are one of the biological cornerstones of the ocean and are fundamental to many marine ecosystems worldwide. Whilst they have countless uses to socioeconomic and tourism sectors globally, their role in the biological sense is of far greater value. By looking at their importance to the biology of the oceans, a greater understanding of the level in which they need to be protected can be formed. One of their key characteristics is their ability to provide shelter and protection to countless marine organisms. This is done so efficiently that entire ecosystems form solely around coral reefs and the habitats they create. These reefs also act as a vital buffer for waves and strong ocean conditions. By dissipating the wave energy, they...
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...Rachel Bowman Megan Hodgson ENG 201 1 April 2016 Annotated Bibliography: Ocean Acidification Research Questions: What is ocean acidification? What are the causes? What are the consequences? Blackford, Jerry C. "Predicting the Impacts of Ocean Acidification: Challenges from an Ecosystem Perspective." Journal of Marine Systems 60.2-4 (April 2010): 12-18. Science Direct. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. This journal answers all three of my posed research questions. Ocean acidification is marine uptake of carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions can come from two sources, anthropogenic: originating in human activity, and natural causes: respiration, decomposition, etc. The consequences range widely and greatly depend on future rates. There could potentially be changes in composition, size, structure and succession in ecosystems that would then lead to greater consequences, energy flow and resources. In the greater picture food sources and economics could also be a resulting consequence. The journal includes several models that try to predict the future pH of the ocean and the effects each pH will have. Dupont, S., O. Ortega-martínez, and M. Thorndyke. "Impact of Near-Future Ocean Acidification on Echinoderms." Ecotoxicology 19.3 (2010): 449-62. ProQuest. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. This article focuses on how severe the issue is. By 2100 carbon dioxide concentrations are predicted to double. The ocean, being a major carbon dioxide sink, absorbs more than half the excess carbon, causing huge impacts...
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...Warming Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today. After examining what global warming is, I have realized that human activities have a large impact on how the earth’s surface temperature is due to the greenhouse effect. I also have realized the impact that global warming can have on the earth. We as human’s need to do what we can to lower our contributions to the global warming before it is too late. Global warming is the increase of earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Upon doing my research I discovered that human activities impact global warming. The effect of human activities on the atmosphere mainly is pollution. Livestock farming is one impact. The livestock let off a large amount of methane during their digestion. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorflurocarbons (CFCs) and tropospheric ozone. Human activities are increasing the concentrations of these substances, which in increase the greenhouse effect and it causes global warming. Another activity would be the ozone hole. Chlorfluorocarbons and other human generated chemicals were stopping the formation stratospheric ozone. It protects life on earth’s surface for UV radiation. Some of the other ways that humans have an impact on the...
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...Global Warming Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today. After examining what global warming is, I have realized that human activities have a large impact on how the earth’s surface temperature is due to the greenhouse effect. I also have realized the impact that global warming can have on the earth. We as human’s need to do what we can to lower our contributions to the global warming before it is too late. Global warming is the increase of earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Upon doing my research I discovered that human activities impact global warming. The effect of human activities on the atmosphere mainly is pollution. Livestock farming is one impact. The livestock let off a large amount of methane during their digestion. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorflurocarbons (CFCs) and tropospheric ozone. Human activities are increasing the concentrations of these substances, which in increase the greenhouse effect and it causes global warming. Another activity would be the ozone hole. Chlorfluorocarbons and other human generated chemicals were stopping the formation stratospheric ozone. It protects life on earth’s surface for UV radiation. Some of the other ways that humans have an impact on the atmosphere...
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...life. The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of what ocean acidification, it effects...
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...PROJECT TOPIC : GLOBAL WARMING MOHAMED HASSAN SPN150597 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 2 2. DEFINITION GLOBAL WARMING .................................................................................................. 3 3. WHY DOES GLOBAL WARMING OCCURE? ............................................................................................ 3 5. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING ................................................................................................... 5 6. EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING .................................................................................................. 9 How will climate change affect you? Your community? The environment around you? .................... 12 4. SOLUTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL WARMING ............................................................................... 13 5. OTHER EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING ............................................. 15 1. Plant Trees and Bamboo................................................................................................................. 16 2. Ride a Bike ...................................................................................................................................... 16 3. Buy Less Stuff...................................................................................
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