sustainability · 5639 comments ·

Coral Reefs as a Marker of Environmental Change

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:

  1. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5985/1523
  2. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral02_zooxanthellae.html#:~:text=Coral%20polyps%2C%20which%20are%20animals,water%20to%20carry%20out%20photosynthesis
  3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs003380050249
  4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1312064
  5. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152918.htm
  6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17300635
  7. https://coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/coral-reefs.html
  8. https://oceanwealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Atlas_of_Ocean_Wealth.pdf

5640 comments

Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!

  • uetkteuktku

    https://wokwi.com/projects/402549691111694337
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402549795868698625
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402549839104661505
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402549913041898497
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402549963128186881
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550075596364801
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550121321621505
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550166311837697
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550429843133441
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550472271670273
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550568608550913
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550625829367809
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550673417949185
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550758087327745
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550802501863425
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550871882998785
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550914980531201
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402550957445770241
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551098549511169
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551152702178305
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551198114961409
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551262730317825
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551390328398849
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551465868892161
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551521701397505
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551582227323905
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551633475432449
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551688299188225
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551738231329793
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551801334638593
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551846214747137
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551921290696705
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402551970180558849
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552011055106049
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552074381765633
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552135908018177
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552182899956737
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552261294654465
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552306588949505
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552361641299969
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552401994703873
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552454620647425
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552500731780097
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552544002320385
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552587869503489
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552643870808065
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552685565337601
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552751816473601
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552807009326081
    https://wokwi.com/projects/402552864423067649

    https://paste.rs/pOlFx.txt
    https://jsfiddle.net/72jvucbe/
    https://snippet.host/qmujes
    https://paste.centos.org/view/4868e1c3
    https://paste.ofcode.org/d7UFVVkhmy3uWdi46Nb3AG
    https://paste.chapril.org/?614335d216146090#7nnuvsBqo5o6m9ff7LEzdhum1y4pJzxUPFrCQioCf7qo
    https://pastebin.com/a6EggWqK
    https://pastebin.freeswitch.org/view/5e0a7800
    https://paiza.io/projects/Cvrs3tgIQ3Z8OVAkkfDN_w
    https://tempel.in/view/A5mSMcr
    https://bitbin.it/qBKbi9aN/
    https://onlinegdb.com/TeWi_EJh_
    https://paste.intergen.online/view/a48a045c
    https://paste.thezomg.com/208750/17201647/
    https://ivpaste.com/v/8LjjOCOydK
    https://binshare.net/ToO4ZD65LBiK4g7nVBpt
    https://paste.myst.rs/b454ar0y
    https://sharetext.me/wftofzkr8q

  • uasuu

    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/0/-/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/1/tw2024/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/2/2-720p480p1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/3/tw2024720p480p-and-1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/4/2-/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/5/2-tw2024/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/6/2-/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/7/    2-tw2024/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/8/-/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/10/-720p480p1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~blundruk/11/-/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/0/-/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/1/-/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/2/    4-tw2024/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/3/    2-tw2024720p480p-and-1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/4/tw2024/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/5/tw2024720p480p-and-1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/6/    2-/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/7/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/8/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-720p480p1080p/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/9/the-wild-robot-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/10/le-robot-sauvage-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/11/the-substance-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/12/smile-2-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/14/the-wild-robot-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/15/the-wild-robot-2024-fullmovie-download-free-filmy-zyla-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/16/mai-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/17/smile-2-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~bandulan345/18/alien-romulus-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/0/the-wild-robot-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/1/smile-2-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/2/inside-out-2-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/3/the-apprentice-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/3/the-apprentice-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/4/piece-by-piece-2024-fullmovie-yts-torrent-download-movies-available-now/
    https://plotly.com/~torpedox/5/the-boy-and-the-heron-2024-fullmovie-download-free-online-720p-480p-hd/

  • safsafsafasf

    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/13343
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11174
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11240
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11249
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11262
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11267
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/11274
    https://havasu.asu.edu/node/13171
    https://www.facebook.com/naganofatburning/
    https://github.com/Black-Friday-Deals-Discount-Offers
    https://github.com/nmia5663/Black-Friday-Deals-Coupon-Code/blob/main/README.md
    https://github.com/nmia5663/Black-Friday-Deals-Coupon-Code
    https://github.com/Black-Friday-Deals-Discount-Offer/Black-Friday-Deals-2024-Coupon-Code.github/blob/main/README.md
    https://github.com/Black-Friday-Deals-Discount-Offer/Black-Friday-Deals-2024-Coupon-Code.github
    https://github.com/Black-Friday-Deals-Discount-Offer
    https://www.quora.com/How-Do-I-Get-1000-Free-Dice-Monopoly-Go/answer/How-To-Get-Monopoly-Go-Free-Dice
    https://www.quora.com/How-Do-I-Get-1000-Free-Dice-Monopoly-Go/answer/Evelyn-R-Scroggins
    https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-get-free-dice-rolls-in-the-Monopoly-Go-game/answer/Evelyn-R-Scroggins
    https://updatehowdoiget1000freedicemonopolygo.quora.com
    https://glucotrustcompreviews.quora.com/
    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/netflix-black-friday-deals-2024-top-uepsc/

  • dfgbn

    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/43cc23e6-a668-4853-ae9a-bacf0e3daab1/page/K1AGE?s=gqK83QuFHU0
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/4a9258e1-1793-47a7-9b8e-4991ffd6ca2d/page/beAGE?s=skJJCR_jmAg
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/221d51d9-6062-49de-9c98-53aeba39ee2a/page/EhAGE?s=itx7Mr4Ofvg
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/2467b5e4-3d03-4e98-bc03-b1ee5cf0b803/page/AjAGE?s=kQ4gEXt3QZo
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/e388d6a7-903b-4225-b353-6b79bb571344/page/ekAGE?s=tVm4pg4sRrs
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/95eae8eb-78b2-4901-9097-a9666f08c7ec/page/CnAGE?s=k03bb8H_jds
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/02d3547a-0453-46ea-831a-6efe429fed2c/page/EpAGE?s=nid9-1iNYTA
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/281c8764-5a66-4a00-a052-29b1184cd595/page/HrAGE?s=jaNzynO9R2c
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/1400c718-0202-42f7-a661-d775b8853e23/page/wsAGE?s=jMVsfQUPsLc
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/9ba29c38-9d64-4dce-b29a-0a75046717b0/page/BuAGE?s=ut-D3rbolfw
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/a6e83518-2f31-4163-9385-dfe875bf77b8/page/L3AGE?s=otHDid5VnJc
    https://m4rv3l.outgrow.us/terrifier-3-hd-pel-cula-completa-online-en-espa-ol-latino-subtitulado
    https://m4rv3l.outgrow.us/smile-2-hd-pel-cula-completa-online-en-espa-ol-latino-subtitulado
    https://m4rv3l.outgrow.us/venom-3-the-last-dance-hd-pel-cula-completa-online-en-espa-ol-latino-subtitulado
    https://m4rv3l.outgrow.us/my-hero-academia-youre-next-hd-pel-cula-completa-online-en-espa-ol-latino-subtitulado
    https://tech.io/snippet/goNSOaz
    https://rextester.com/LUIQWR82197
    https://bitbin.it/G0hFjkDi/
    https://bitbin.it/G0hFjkDi/raw/
    https://paste.ee/p/v04yC
    https://justpaste.it/hy80u
    https://ctxt.io/2/AAB4ZhOZFw
    https://issuu.com/amirah123/stacks
    https://jsitor.com/5_pzPh7gHg
    http://paste.jp/0b55ba50/
    https://rentry.co/x36hncux
    https://freepaste.link/public/wacborvjnw
    https://penzu.com/journals/31329148/102349141
    https://medicine.ju.edu.jo/Lists/ConfReg/AllItems.aspx?
    https://pastecode.io/s/igu2t70t
    http://www.codyjhughes.com/guestbook/
    https://jsfiddle.net/ho6jfu87/
    https://www.taptap.io/post/8373395
    https://paste.thezomg.com/233523/72944163/
    https://paste.toolforge.org/view/9eb51bef
    https://telegra.ph/juyjmuymju-10-20
    https://etextpad.com/oybgqpfcjk
    https://www.onlinegdb.com/
    https://www.nehannn.com/artist-detail/715.html?sasla
    https://forum.instube.com/d/159649-i87i87
    https://glot.io/snippets/h11a72gs5i
    https://hackmd.io/KQE09HMESdGw8dyiss4wNA
    https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/b97040c8
    https://paiza.io/projects/m6RNaZGKcjdH9Z0-4wVWvw
    https://rentry.co/znb46w88
    https://bitbucket.org/santuy213/workspace/snippets/4qG8o6
    http://www.shadowville.com/board
    https://yamcode.com/untitled-107628
    https://wokwi.com/projects/412280961058288641

  • dfgbn

    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/db44cc90-6c01-4407-bf97-88fe1f923023/page/G2AGE?s=haf3RCtSy6E
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/43cc23e6-a668-4853-ae9a-bacf0e3daab1/page/K1AGE?s=gqK83QuFHU0
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/4a9258e1-1793-47a7-9b8e-4991ffd6ca2d/page/beAGE?s=skJJCR_jmAg
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/221d51d9-6062-49de-9c98-53aeba39ee2a/page/EhAGE?s=itx7Mr4Ofvg
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/2467b5e4-3d03-4e98-bc03-b1ee5cf0b803/page/AjAGE?s=kQ4gEXt3QZo
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/e388d6a7-903b-4225-b353-6b79bb571344/page/ekAGE?s=tVm4pg4sRrs
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/95eae8eb-78b2-4901-9097-a9666f08c7ec/page/CnAGE?s=k03bb8H_jds
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/02d3547a-0453-46ea-831a-6efe429fed2c/page/EpAGE?s=nid9-1iNYTA
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/281c8764-5a66-4a00-a052-29b1184cd595/page/HrAGE?s=jaNzynO9R2c
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/1400c718-0202-42f7-a661-d775b8853e23/page/wsAGE?s=jMVsfQUPsLc
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/9ba29c38-9d64-4dce-b29a-0a75046717b0/page/BuAGE?s=ut-D3rbolfw
    https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/a6e83518-2f31-4163-9385-dfe875bf77b8/page/L3AGE?s=otHDid5VnJc
    https://pastelink.net/ozcidhjl
    https://wokwi.com/projects/412272541116759041

  • dfefrsf

    https://github.com/Terrifier3-HorrorCrime
    https://github.com/Terrifier3-Horror
    https://github.com/Terrifier3Film2024
    https://github.com/Terrifier3-Christmas
    https://github.com/ParkerFinn-TVSmile2
    https://www.honor.com/mea/club/topicdetail/topicid-3626832704798720/
    https://www.honor.com/mea/club/topicdetail/topicid-3626833039851520/
    https://www.honor.com/mea/club/topicdetail/topicid-3626833207623681/

Leave a comment

BLOG