CORAL REEFS:

Sam Torres, 5B

DISAPPEARING December 7, 2009

Coral reef locations

from around the
world.

Photo taken by NASA.

CORAL REEFS AT A HIGH RISK OF BEING EXTINCT...

Unless humans want to take action and do something about it. There are many effects that the coral reefs will
have on marine life and humans as well. Read on to learn more about the dangers of losing our coral reefs.

Summary of Problems: There are many problems world’s reefs that were damaged in 1998 are
facing these coral reefs. The problems are recovering, and 24 percent of the world’s reefs
extensive, including coral bleaching, global climate under imminent risk, because of human pressures,
change, and ocean acidification. Coral bleaching is of collapse. If these problems do carry out, it’s very
a major problem that occurs as the whitening of the unfortunate because of the many benefits coral
corals because of a reduction in photosynthetic reefs quietly supply to us, like protecting the
pigment. Solar radiation usually plays a role in coral shores.
bleaching. If the sea temperature changes by as
little as 1-2 degrees C, the reefs can die. This links
to the global climate change. As temperatures
change around the globe, the ocean temperature
obviously take a hit as well, in turn, affecting the
reefs and killing them. Finally, ocean acidification is
causes by some of the excess carbon dioxide
being taken in by the world’s oceans. These
problems have joined together to create the
following: 20 percent of the world’s coral reefs have
been destroyed and have yet to show signs of
recovery, about 40 percent of the 16 percent of the Coral Bleaching by David Burdick.

[1]
Climatic/Geographic factors: Many
climatic and geographic factors are
found with coral reefs. Specifically,
increases in ocean temperatures
associated with global climate
change will increase the number of
coral bleaching episodes.
Moreover, increases in
atmospheric concentration of
carbon dioxide from fossil fuel
combustion will drive changes in
surface ocean chemistry. Also,
effects of global climate change
will combine with more localized
stresses to further degrade coral
reef ecosystems.
Plant and Animal Life: The main
types of plants found in coral reefs
are usually algae and seagrasses.
Though little, these are the most
important element to the reef
ecosystem for they provide food
for the corals through
photosynthesis. Known for 25
percent of the marine life, reefs
carry many species. Animals use
these as a shelter and these also
are a prime source of food for
them. Corals are mainly associated
with fish, sea anemones, sea
jellies, sea urchins, sponges,
worms, rays, lobsters, snails, and
more.
Impacts to Living Things: All up,
reefs are home to 25 percent of all
marine life, and form the nurseries
for about a quarter of the ocean's
fish - also including commercially
important species that could end
up on your dinner plate any night
of the week. Many critters live,
shelter, and protect themselves
within these coral reefs. As the
amount of reefs die and eliminate,
slowly do the animals that live
there. This provides, for example,
no area for the fish hatcheries. That
also leads to competition for other
reefs as the numbers slowly
decrease. The main loss for all
animals is that they lose their home
and a source of food.
Climatic/Vegetative: Human-
induced global climate change
may be causing an increase in
ocean temperatures. It’s supposed
to be a major culprit of coral loss.
Global climate change is a change
in the long-term weather patterns
that characterize the regions of the
world. It’s influenced by the sun.
The sun heats the Earth's
atmosphere and its surface,
causing air and water to move
around the planet, killing
vegetation like seagrass and
algae.
Political/Social Problems: These
problems are apparent because of
their beneficiaries towards
humans. They provide food and
medicine at the same time.
Another way that they benefit
humans is economically as they
allow for tourism in local
communities. Also, these strong
coral reefs protect shores from the
Photos by Mila Zinkova
[2]
strong storms that are currently
happening and are predicted for
the future as well. Unfortunately,
these benefits may not be intact in
the next decade or two, due to
many factors.
Future outlook: Scientists have
been pessimistic for quite some
time now about the future of the
coral reefs. Some reefs are actually
expected to vanish around 2020.
Climate change is a major reason
as to why reefs may be eliminated
in many areas. If this climate
change is not stopped, it is
believed that coral bleaching will
rapidly increase all over the world
and it would eventually occur
yearly by 2030-2070. Coral reefs
would may come extinct by 2100.
Not only are they at danger, but the
worst part is that it could take coral
reefs up to hundreds of years to
recover. Unfortunately, if the coral
reefs are lost, it would cost billions
of dollars from lost profits of
tourism and fishing industries.
Coastal regions would also be in
danger from the protection that
coral reefs offer. The future is awful
for these coral reefs, and the loss
of coral reefs would completely
take away from the world’s marine
biodiversity. If reefs fail, other
ecosystems will fail, and more
extinction in tropical marine life will
be imminent.