...THE CORAL TRIANGLE by A. Wong Coral reefs are among the most productive of all the eco-systems. The intricate homes that coral animals build create magical underwater structures that attract a variety of sea life. Thousands of fish of many different varieties dart in and out of these elegant corals. A tropical coral reef underwater rivals the diversity of a tropical rain-forest on land. These reefs are a tremendous source of natural wonders and resources. The Philippines, Malaysia and New Guinea mark the corners of a triangle which is the cradle of evolution for the coral kingdom. More then 400 species of coral are in the reefs that encircle the 7000 plus islands of the Philippines. Its land area is only 1/5 of its water realm. Not all of these islands are inhabited. Those which can support human population are filled to overflowing. In these small islands there is usually no other way to make a living except through the surrounding reef. For the Philippines, with its problems in population and economy, fishing is very important. However, some fishermen resort to extreme measures such as Dynamite Fishing because it is quick and effective. Dynamite fishing is both illegal and rampant in the Philippines. The devastating effects of a single dynamite blast so a fisherman can feed his family with enough to spare to sell can cause damages to coral reefs that would take them 40 years to recover. The reefs are filled with a variety of sea life - exotic fishes with myriad...
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...July 13th 2014 Instuctor: Nicholas Kusina SCI 201-140-3A-06 Coral Reefs are located in tropical oceans near the equator. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia The second largest coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize. In Central America. Other reefs are found in other areas in tropical oceans. Corals can exist as individuals polpys, or in colonies and communities that contain hundreds to hundreds of thousands of polyps. For example, brain corals are some of the most recognizable coral species. These corals are colonies of many individual polyps, the individual polyps average 1-3mm in diameter. The physical structure of a coral reef is built by reef building polyps. When they secrete calcium carbonate skeletons, they create a complex three dimensional framework upon which an abundance of coral species and other marine plants and animals may live. About 25 % of all marine life is found in coral reefs, including around two million species of fish, crustaceans, sponges and seaweeds. Together these plants and animals form the coral reef ecosystem. As well as supporting marine biodiversity, reef ecosystems provide a number of ecological services and goods to human populations on a local, regional, and national level as they play an important role in coastline and habitat protection, nitrogen fixing, sand supply, climate records, fisheries, medicine, recreation and tourism. Coral reef frameworks can serve as physical buffers for ocean waves and...
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...Coral Reefs SCIN 136 Introduction to Oceanography, Week 7 Symbiosis is derived from “sym” which means together, and “biosis” which means to live. Coral is a terrific example of symbiosis, in that it requires another organism (the algae known as zooxanthellae) for survival and growth, and vice versa. I will discuss zooxanthellae, and how the symbiosis between it and coral is more efficient than coral relying solely on phytoplankton for as its main food resource. Almost all reef building coral require a very close symbiotic relationship with a certain type of algae known as “zooxanthellae” in order to thrive. These zooxanthellae inhabit the actual “flesh” of the coral, producing oxygen and also assisting in the waste removal process of the corals growth. In return, the coral protects the algae from the environment, and contributes various compounds required by the algae for photosynthesis. An interesting fact of this relationship is that zooxanthellae provides the coral with foods like glucose, glycerol and amino acids, which are created through photosynthesis. The coral uses these compounds to then produce proteins, fats and calcium carbonate to be used in its own growth process. This symbiotic relationship truly enables the efficient recycling of nutrients in rather nutrient poor tropical waters. Coral reefs react to their environment just like plants do, so they thrive in nutrient poor tropical water mainly because the waters there are relatively clear, and clear...
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...The rainforest of the sea, also known as the coral reefs, has a significant amount of marine species and organisms living in a small fraction of the ocean. They cover about 0.1 percent of the ocean’s surface and support more than 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundred of other species (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA). This estimation of numbers does not include the unexplored parts of the coral reefs, and many scientists are trying to further explore this area. Based on research, scientists concluded that coral reefs are very sensitive to the type of environment they live in and due to natural occurrences and human activity the coral reefs are slowly dying. The dying of coral reefs detrimentally affects many of the species that rely on this area for food and shelter, which includes humans as well. However, who or what can we blame for this happening? The coral reefs for being too sensitive or humans for polluting the oceans? Coral reefs are highly sensitive to the...
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...Describe the conditions which provide the best environment for the growth of coral and explain how coral may be threatened by changes to those conditions. A coral reef provides one of the most important natural habitats in the world, sheltering enormous amounts of biodiversity with its solid calcium carbonate skeleton. More than 25 percent of all fish biodiversity on the planet Earth is associated with the coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs require fairly specific environmental conditions in order to thrive. Coral reefs and the zooxanthellae algae living within the cell walls of coral polyps must have adequate sunlight and warm salt water - water that gets no colder than 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius).Optimal conditions for coral growth require water temperatures between 73.4 and 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 29 degrees Celsius). Coral reefs survive best in the waters between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator, mostly in the Pacific and Indian oceans. They also thrive in clear waters with little or no floating particles that can filter out or block direct sunlight. Shallow-water coral grows approximately 3.9 inches (9.9 centimeters) per year, given these optimal conditions. For example, the coasts alongside Oman are an ideal place for coral growth. While tropical shallow-water coral reefs have been studied much more extensively, there are also species of coral that live in deep-water conditions, from about 50 to 2,000 meters (about 165...
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...The Coral Reefs Ecosystem Hidden beneath the ocean water, is the coral reefs team of life. Fish, corals, lobsters, clams, sponges, seahorses, sea turtles are only a few of hundreds of thousands of creatures that rely on reefs for their survival. I think that coral reefs are beautiful and I find that ecosystem of a reef is fascinating. Despite the fact that Corals look like rock or plants they are definitely marine animals. Corals life begins in tropical water as floating larvae. After a short period of time the larvae attaches itself to a hard surface and becomes a polyp. Corals are related to the jellyfish some people say that a coral looks like a jelly fish upside down due to a coral having a lot of tiny polyps. A single coral polyp may be as large as a saucer or small as the top of a pinhead. There are billions of polyps working together in a cooperative colony. Generation after generation creating a limestone skeleton that forms the framework of the beautiful coral reefs. Coral Reefs grow very slowly. It could take up to a hundred years for a reef to grow 3ft. (Best&Bornbusch, 2001) Coral Reefs have been in existence for over 215 million years and located in tropical waters. The earths ocean floors cover more than 70% of our planet's surface and 97% of that water is found in the ocean. As everyone knows ocean water is salty and the reason being is due to the salinity in the water. The two ions found in seawater are chloride and sodium. The salt in the ocean's water has...
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...planet, etc. Coral reefs are believed by many to have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet—even more than a tropical rainforest. Occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, coral reefs are home to more than twenty-five percent of marine life. Why is that important? A highly biodiverse ecosystem, one with many different species, is often more resilient to changing conditions and can better withstand significant disturbances. In addition, ecosystem services—benefits that humans receive from natural environments—are often greater in highly diverse places. Coral reefs, thanks to their diversity, provide millions of people with food, medicine, protection from storms, and revenue from fishing and tourism. An estimated six million fishermen in 99 reef countries and territories worldwide—over a quarter of the world’s small-scale fishermen—harvest from coral reefs. The biodiversity of reefs can also be appreciated simply for the wonder and amazement it inspires. Brightly colored, spotted, striped, speckled, or otherwise eccentrically patterned fish swim in and around coral reefs; some specialize in eating different kinds of algae, keeping corals from being smothered by their potentially deadly competitors. Sharks, groupers, and other predatory fish keep populations of smaller fish and other organisms in balance. Parrotfish actually eat the reef itself. They scrape at the coral to get to the small algae (zooxanthellae) living inside the coral polyp, then...
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...many things from Kristen Marhaver's TED talks video on "Why I still have hope for coral reefs". In her video she explained why corals in the Pacific Ocean have been dying at an alarming rate, particularly from bleaching brought on by increased water temperatures. In her video she states, "This is happening over an unbelievable scale. The Northern Great Barrier Reef lost two-thirds of its corals last year over a distance of hundreds of miles, then bleached again this year, and the bleaching stretched further south. Reefs in the Pacific are in a nosedive right now, and no one knows how bad it's going to get."Kristen says it is not too late to act, if corals are given time, stable temperatures and strong protection, corals there have shown the ability to survive and...
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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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...What is coral bleaching? Water that becomes warm can cause coral bleaching which makes the tissue of the coral to become white. That does not mean that the coral is dead in any way, but make the coral become weakened than its original standard. In the Caribbean they have lost 50% of there coral reefs because of the bleaching in one year. But not only are the reefs becoming white because of warm water temperatures also cold temperatures also cause coral bleaching’s in Florida. This made some corals die. Coral reefs provide sea creature’s shelter, secure shorelines, and back fishing industries. The factors for coral bleaching are changes in salinity, diseases, bright sunlight when the water is already too warm, and pollution. There are ways to prevent it like walking instead of driving, plant a tree anywhere, and support local legislators. What is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is living things like plants, animals, and organisms. These depend on non-living things like water, sun, temperature, pressure, and nutrients. What causes ecosystem destruction?...
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...Coral reefs occupy only 0.2% of the ocean floor, yet they are the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems known today, and support over 25% of all marine organisms (Yip). Due to the massive amount of marine species that populate coral reef habitats, maintaining healthy reefs is crucial for the continuation of marine biodiversity. In past years, the increase of mortality rates in coral has been caused by a number of factors, including wide-spread stress and disease. In the Indo-Pacific, coral reefs have been declining at a rate of approximately 2% per year for the last 20 years (Yip). Coral reef fish biodiversity is crucial for the sustainability of the coral reef ecosystem, as well as for the ability of the coral reefs to provide services...
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...Protect Coral Reefs Those who love to snorkel or dive know how beautiful coral reefs are up close. These vibrant ecosystems are the homes and breeding grounds of multiple sea creatures. However, due to pollution and human activity, about 20% of coral reefs in the world have been damaged beyond repair. The bright side is, if we all take action today, we can still protect the remaining reefs in our oceans. Scientists and conservation groups are working double time to use their expertise in saving our seas and coral reefs. Even if you aren't an expert, you can still do a lot to join the movement. 1. Cut your carbon footprint. Climate change is a leading cause of coral reef deaths. Lessen your amount of carbon emissions by walking,...
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...The coral bleaching from different perspectives Introduction Coral reefs are highly productive ecosystem that also habitats for coastal animals and offer services to human communities (Kubicek, Muhando and Reuter 2012, p. 1). Coral reefs are places for many fishes and other living creatures in the sea to hide and live. Coral reefs also have a huge impact to human communities. Coral reefs and the beauty of living creatures that live within them have become major attraction for tourist and income for local communities. Unfortunately, human activities have caused coral reefs destroyed because of activities such as overfishing, diving, chemical pollution, reef mining and many other things (Carey 2000, p. 147). This activities lead to coral bleaching, which will become danger for many creatures that live in it. The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its half coral reef in the last 27 years, and 10 per cent of the damage is caused by coral bleaching (De'ath 2012). Coral bleaching however impact many perspectives. From science perspective, coral bleaching has been a threat for many coral species and fishes that lives in it for they are becoming extinct and destroyed (Kubicek, Muhando and Reuter 2012, p. 1). This will leads to the less variety of the coastal ecosystem riches and incur social and economic loss to its social community. Coral bleaching also have impacts to the indigenous people. Indigenous people have used coral reef and its resources as dependence for their food supply...
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...Coral bleaching is caused by the changing temperatures of the ocean. Ninety-three percent of climate change heat is absorbed by the ocean. This means that as the temperatures rises from global warming, so does the ocean. Coral are unable to adapt to the changing heat at the rate that it is changing. Under normal conditions, the algae perform photosynthesis and provide nutrients that provide the coral with energy to continue to build. However, with the rising temperature this makes it difficult for the algae to photosynthesize. Bleaching is caused by a response from the changing temperatures in the ocean. As the temperatures rise, this causes the relationship between the coral and algae to break down. The algae are unable to process the sun’s...
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...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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