Coral Reefs as a Marker of Environmental Change
Coral is highly sensitive to its external environment. Changes in ocean temperature, pollution and run-off, and pH (ocean acidification) can cause them to 'bleach' (1). When bleached, they can survive if optimal conditions return. However, if the stress is sustained, they will eventually die. As such, coral reefs are deeply threatened by environmental change and therefore make a good marker for the health of ocean ecosystems.
What is coral bleaching?
Coral live in a symbiotic relationship with microscopic, photosynthetic, algae called zooxanthellae (2). Like plants, the zooxanthellae capture sunlight and convert it into energy, providing essential nutrients to the coral (3). In return, the coral provides a protected environment for the zooxanthellae to live. Aside from providing nutrients, the zooxanthellae are also responsible for the colouring of many stony corals.
Under conditions of stress caused by changes in ocean temperature, agricultural run-off, and ocean acidification, resulting from human activities releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, the coral polyps expel their zooxanthellae, causing them to take on a white appearance, what is known as "coral bleaching" (4). The coral will not die instantly when the zooxanthellae is expelled, but if the period of stress is sustained, the zooxanthellae will be unable to re-enter the coral tissue, the coral will not get the essential nutrients it needs to survive.
What is left is the corals calcium carbonate skeleton. Algae begins to grow over the coral skeletons, blocking any chance of regrowth. After time, the skeletons will erode, resulting in the collapse of the reef structure. This collapse is not just an eyesore, it has catastrophic impacts for the ocean ecosystem, fisheries and local communities that depend on the reef for an income.
Why is it Important That we Protect Coral Reefs?
Habitat - Coral skeletons are an important component of the reef architecture and provide a habitat for 25% of all marine species (5). They provide shelter, spawning grounds and protection from predators. In their absence, fish stocks will decline, this has a knock-on effect to local communities who are reliant on fish for their main source of protein.
Tourism and Recreation - For coastal communities that are reliant on tourism for their income, the health of coral reefs is paramount to their survival. Ecotourism provides thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in income. It has been estimated that coral reefs have a global economic value of $36 billion per year (6).
Coastline Protection - Coral reefs absorb 97% of a waves energy (7), acting as a buffer against storm events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis, to 150,000 km of global tropical coastlines in over 100 countries (8).
Pharmaceuticals - Due to the stationary nature of coral, it has developed a plethora of chemical defences in order to gain protection from predators and to fight disease. Coral is therefore becoming increasingly recognised as an important source of new drugs to treat diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and arthritis.
What Can we do to Help?
Although small changes at home will make a difference (e.g. buying organic food as to not contribute to the use of pesticides and herbicides), the real issue here is climate change which requires global cooperation and action to reduce emissions and slow global warming. The death of coral reefs is not just a great loss to the ocean but it will greatly impact millions of people, in over 100 countries, who rely on the reefs for their income and as a food source.
References:
- https://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5985/1523
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral02_zooxanthellae.html#:~:text=Coral%20polyps%2C%20which%20are%20animals,water%20to%20carry%20out%20photosynthesis
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs003380050249
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/1312064
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152918.htm
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17300635
- https://coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/coral-reefs.html
- https://oceanwealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Atlas_of_Ocean_Wealth.pdf
Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!
https://bento.me/telecharger-the-crow-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr-
https://bento.me/telecharger-girls-will-be-girls-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-blink-twice-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-anzu-chat-fantome-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-meme-dans-les-orties-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-le-dernier-bus-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-hijo-de-sicario-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-alienoid-laffrontement-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-paradise-is-burning-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-jamais-plus—-it-ends-with-us-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-alien-romulus-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-trap-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-borderlands-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-deadpool-wolverine-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/telecharger-twisters-streaming-vf-fr-gratuitement-et-vostfr
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-alien-romulus-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-odio-el-verano-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-parpadea-dos-veces-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-isla-perdida-haunted-heart-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-maxxxine-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-buffalo-kids-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-niegalo-siempre-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-el-conde-de-montecristo-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-borderlands-el-destino-del-universo-esta-en-juego-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-la-trampa-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-10-vidas-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-cuerpo-escombro-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-deadpool-y-lobezno-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-twisters-en-espanol-y-latino
https://bento.me/cuevana3ver-hellboy-the-crooked-man-en-espanol-y-latino
https://www.surveyking.com/survey/2662
https://doc.clickup.com/9018117031/p/h/8crb2x7-3998/919547c9b02a459
https://herbalmeds-forum.biolife.com.my/d/120948-rywjryjrwwryjryj
https://www.yeuthucung.com/threads/tuektektektktek.486765/
https://kitemunity.com/forums/topic/8007/tektektuktuekktektuk/view/post_id/90304
https://www.snibc.co.uk/fusion/infusions/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=9652
http://www.limesucks.com/thread/rjryjrwyjjrwyjryjw/
https://forum.freeflarum.com/d/111942-wryrwyjrwyyrj
https://diendannhansu.com/threads/rwjrjyrywjryjrywjryjw.522443/
https://forum.gamestategames.com/d/3810-jrywjrjjyrryjw
https://forum.theknightonline.com/threads/tuktuktktuktutuke.479817/
https://www.zephyraxis.com/wall/blogs/45410/rwyjrryjrwjrwyjryjwjrwy
http://opensource.platon.org/forum/projects/viewtopic.php?p=12642169#12642169
https://forum.instube.com/d/122225-tuktuktuktuktuk
https://forum.realdigital.org/d/47946-wrjrjyrywjrjrwyjwryj
https://toirscript.com/topic/2339/ryjwyjryjryjry
https://forum.its-egner.de/topic/1770/rywjrwyyrwjrwyjrwyjryj
https://ultrafighteronline.com/topic/2518/wryjwyrjrwyjrwyjrwyj
https://forum.freedom-for-icinga.com/topic/2230/tekteuktuektuektuk
https://www.hybrid-analysis.com/sample/003b17266c684e0fa8668a8fef6293b32681eba4360f3aa0a25572594791439a
https://sharetext.me/m99xdcaeji
https://tiny-paste.com/137854/
https://paste.myst.rs/26s9fbpt
https://ivpaste.com/v/Xat5GMN8Zj
https://paste.thezomg.com/217032/24061211/
https://paste.intergen.online/view/f0dd5dde
https://onlinegdb.com/pc3JfYkS8
https://bitbin.it/NyamOhCe/
https://tempel.in/view/OjLkOss
https://paiza.io/projects/2iEf6sbQr9E9lOAwqXfOew
https://pastebin.freeswitch.org/view/f48bb865
https://pastebin.com/AskyFkgA
https://paste.chapril.org/?24722d1a6cefb17e#25ZMU5Vrx3iBYp3UjL7jF1o9DjSfh8DM2eRMq3XicWmw
https://paste.ofcode.org/k9JDLAjZhzfcDXrbxgJgEQ
https://paste.centos.org/view/6233f278
https://snippet.host/pusvri
https://jsfiddle.net/gxknha57/
https://paste.rs/a3Q3V.txt
https://paste.laravel.io/5337a7d1-a79e-494f-9d29-20cb0a2869f6
https://notes.io/wnnZU
http://nopaste.ceske-hry.cz/410795
http://ben-kiki.org/ypaste/data/112083/index.html
https://jsbin.com/yibeqinuhu
https://www.posteezy.com/teutktuktuktuktuktuk
https://rentry.co/93623hoh
https://anotepad.com/notes/i4e426tg
https://vk.com/749416521-one-piece-film-red-fr https://vk.com/749123946-vostfr-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-entier
https://vk.com/749123946-hd-4k https://vk.com/749123946-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr-fr
https://vk.com/749123946-top-gun-maverick-streaming-vf-fr-complet-vostfr-2022 https://vk.com/749123946-top-gun-maverick-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr-fr
https://vk.com/749123946-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-entier-franca https://vk.com/749123946-regarder-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-enti
https://vk.com/749123946-voir-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr https://vk.com/749123946-jujutsu-kaisen-0-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-entier-francais
https://vk.com/749123946-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-ent https://vk.com/749416521-one-piece-film-red-fr
https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-vostfr
https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf2022-fr-complet-ent https://vk.com/749416521-vostfr-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf2022-fr-comp
https://vk.com/749416521-regarder-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf2022-fr-co https://vk.com/749416521-voir-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf2022-fr-comple
https://vk.com/749416521-voir-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf-en-francais-v https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-hero-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr
https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-super-hero https://vk.com/749416521-dragon-ball-super-super-hero-streaming-vf-fr-complet-vostf
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/one-piece-red-streaming-vf-fr/profile
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf-2022-fr-complet-entier-francais/profile
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/vostfr-one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf-2022-fr-complet-entier-francais-hd/profile
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/top-gun-maverick-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr-fr/profile
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/one-piece-film-red-streaming-vf-en-francais-vostfr-fr/profile
https://zh.ayachujo.com/profile-1/top-gun-maverick-streaming-vf-fr-complet-vostfr-2022/profile
https://www.endezo-it.com/2022/09/captain-america-new-world-orders.html
https://www.49erssports.com/2022/09/champions-league-streaming-link-in_14.html
https://tewaksport.blogspot.com/2022/09/link-streaming-liga-champions-di-vidio.html
https://dotnetfiddle.net/AfRrmi
https://jsfiddle.net/tewakdeui/vu3skLgz/
https://ctxt.io/2/AAAQHPQHEw
https://yamcode.com/yiink2i4cm
https://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/95df1fb7163be7fc
https://apaste.info/Jpd3
https://paste.rs/2A1
https://notes.io/qd8fz
https://paste.toolforge.org/view/405e64ee
https://onlinegdb.com/EnxzkMAwS
https://pasteio.com/x6apks9KGaw8
https://paste.ee/p/RLb5w
https://pastebin.com/k8gPC0JD
https://pastelink.net/fvh3vt2y
http://paste.jp/b1bddf1b/
https://www.pastery.net/wgbbqq/
https://justpaste.it/32uu8
https://pastebin.freeswitch.org/view/37e06ca6
http://pastebin.falz.net/2414314
https://paste.laravel.io/add53d80-1eee-4ca5-a684-24dedd8285ca
https://paste2.org/PgE6UDpC
https://bitbin.it/ICyzoYHG/
https://justpaste.me/Yksj
https://paste.md-5.net/zelumeciwa.cpp
https://paste.artemix.org/-/HaeVzY
https://paste.mozilla.org/7BtMDwzM
Leave a comment