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://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
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146919824/posts/32164728
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146919824/posts/32310321
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146919824/posts/32310464
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146919824/posts/32310518
https://www.eventbee.com/v/vezitransformersunu/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/transformersunu2024/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/jedamah990/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/timiye8765/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/mitavi6143/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/mejiha4617/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/pefic28491/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/gilir64355/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/kivoreh920/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/desaso4045/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/cabicos365/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/fasora8844/boxoffice/
https://www.eventbee.com/v/riroje8086/boxoffice/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/0/assistirhd-robo-selvagem-pt-2024-filme-completo-dublado-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/1/assistir-robo-selvagem-2024-filme-completo-dublado-e-legendado-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/2/assistirfilme-silvio-santos-o-sequestro-pt-2024-filme-completo-dublado-em-portug/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/3/assistir-silvio-santos-o-sequestro-2024-pt-filme-completo-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/4/assistirfilme-a-forja-o-poder-da-transformacao-pt-2024-filme-completo-dublado-em/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/5/assistir-a-forja-o-poder-da-transformacao-2024-pt-filme-completo-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/6/assistirfilme-coringa-delirio-a-dois-pt-2024-filme-completo-dublado-em-portugues/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/7/assistir-coringa-delirio-a-dois-2024-pt-filme-completo-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/8/assistirfilme-transformers-o-inicio-pt-2024-filme-completo-dublado-em-portuguese/
https://plotly.com/~cinemadoro187/9/assistir-transformers-o-inicio-2024-pt-filme-completo-em-portuguese/
https://about.me/moviefressh
https://muckrack.com/bae-barbara/bio
https://profile.hatena.ne.jp/desmovplay/profile
https://b.hatena.ne.jp/desmovplay/bookmark
https://solo.to/movuniversal
https://findaspring.org/members/haikyupelicula/
https://paste.ee/p/E6Gry
https://jsfiddle.net/cindyyuvia/h0392zuj/
https://jsitor.com/sflprW0p1t
https://wokwi.com/projects/409206262379527169
https://pastelink.net/h58pfx2q
https://glot.io/snippets/gzzv0nbzb4
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/fa15420c
https://onlinegdb.com/EZFI1LzBx
https://paiza.io/projects/CBSb8PGWfHEe6se2QxwwZg
https://rextester.com/XFIA7655
https://output.jsbin.com/numucod
https://pastebin.com/nz43De9H
https://bitbin.it/1cAOnm47/
https://paste.intergen.online/view/f2bc4fbb
https://snippet.host/zxenzb
https://rentry.co/y7ooknp7
https://yamcode.com/ajskdc-358
https://justpaste.it/epjxm
https://homment.com/7ihsFHlnDs7rbNWNScdK
https://www.etextpad.com/uk5qu79pbu
https://dictanote.co/n/1068018/
https://www.facebook.com/codauhaomonvietsub/
https://www.facebook.com/Dyingsubtw/
https://www.facebook.com/congtubaclieuviet/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712568
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712704
https://justpaste.it/g2ts3
https://rentry.co/y9gsfcgu
https://pastelink.net/8rrq79p3
https://telegra.ph/grestywew-09-16
https://forum.realdigital.org/d/101411-htsyrr
https://herbalmeds-forum.biolife.com.my/d/140588-vrawtwew
https://forum.instube.com/d/138935-btesyuerf
https://chodilinh.com/threads/tgesyerfw.399719/
https://cvt.vn/threads/gresyteww.1123887/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712158
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712122
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712369
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls542712387
https://www.eventbee.com/v/dying/boxoffice/
https://tinhte.vn/profile/2024.3044097/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pUZh4ndlZJh9yV6AIAKmw
https://www.eventbee.com/v/onceupon/boxoffice/
https://tinhte.vn/profile/xem-phim-cong-tu-bac-lieu-2024-vietsub.3044139/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/18cNdaFZDANG7lYhceXraZ
https://www.eventbee.com/v/thebride/boxoffice/
https://tinhte.vn/profile/xem-phim-co-dau-hao-mon-2024-vietsub.3044143/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1IIQoVBULjWm9TBextNHpu
https://www.intensedebate.com/people/shakiarian
https://bento.me/grestew
https://dailybusinesspost.com/the-life-of-chuck/
https://profile.hatena.ne.jp/tahugendong/
https://tinhte.vn/profile/rhionaabuendo.3044180/
https://www.onfeetnation.com/photo/albums/gfatgedw
https://beterhbo.ning.com/photo/albums/eatedfww
https://www.tadalive.com/forum/thread/55251/vdaeddewtwe/
https://webhitlist.com/photo/albums/vdawte
https://dangtinvantai.com/threads/vdawtewfww.48907/
https://www.hebergementweb.org/threads/tesyrfwe.1780161/
https://www.planetminecraft.com/forums/pmc/introductions/gratewdwwtw-689097/
http://molbiol.ru/forums/index.php?showtopic=1428179
http://biznas.com/Biz-postsm350482_gresewf.aspx#post350482
https://www.forexagone.com/forum/questions-debutants/bfsgsfee-157357#255877
https://saphalaafrica.co.za/wp/question/vrwatgew/
https://www.lifesshortlivefree.com/community/vetted-member-instructions/graewew/
https://forger.forums.maxon.net/topic/351/vrfwate
https://web3devcommunity.com/topic/8917/grewtwer
https://ultrafighteronline.com/topic/6211/rwetwerw
https://foro.ribbon.es/topic/19486/gratweww
https://newindexing.hashnode.dev/the-life-of-chuck-wins-toronto-film-festival-audience-award
https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/clokbun/diary/202409170000/
https://medium.com/@lplitasahim/the-life-of-chuck-wins-toronto-film-festival-audience-award-9a060ca3de30
https://www.wowace.com/paste/896c74b0
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/d0e2d454
https://anotepad.com/notes/a4b7xesn
https://notes.io/w1Hhq
https://etextpad.com/klxrmtsghb
https://pastebin.com/WXZXTPzm
https://paiza.io/projects/H93osZTvFfPHQHteGCWu4g
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620708718510080/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-all-free-stickers/topicid-3620708718510080/
https://www.communitygaming.io/tournament/monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-all-free-rolls-2024
https://www.communitygaming.io/tournament/topcoin-master-free-spins-no-verification
https://soundcloud.com/nmia5663/5000coin-master-free-spins-no-verification
https://soundcloud.com/ambani-monalisa/all-monopoly-go-free-dice-links-android
https://soundcloud.com/nmia5663/500candy-crush-saga-gold-bars-free-2024
https://forums.black-dog.tech/index.php?threads/j-9-monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-unlimited-free-rolls-k9l6m.49091/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/topicid-3620708718510080/
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-all-free-stickers/topicid-3620708718510080/
https://www.communitygaming.io/tournament/monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-all-free-rolls-2024
https://www.communitygaming.io/tournament/topcoin-master-free-spins-no-verification
https://soundcloud.com/nmia5663/5000coin-master-free-spins-no-verification
https://soundcloud.com/ambani-monalisa/all-monopoly-go-free-dice-links-android
https://soundcloud.com/nmia5663/500candy-crush-saga-gold-bars-free-2024
https://forums.black-dog.tech/index.php?threads/j-9-monopoly-go-1000-dice-generator-unlimited-free-rolls-k9l6m.49091/
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146328405/posts/32309204
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146328405/posts/32309079
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32307930
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32308109
https://www.strava.com/athletes/144906416/posts/32307014
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32308709
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32308905
https://www.strava.com/athletes/144906416/posts/32306864
https://www.strava.com/athletes/144906416/posts/32306694
https://www.strava.com/athletes/144906416/posts/32330467
https://www.strava.com/athletes/144906416/posts/32330548
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32330629
https://www.strava.com/athletes/146262843/posts/32330679
https://hackmd.io/Rg1p7eSlQ2eRF21JzskM6Q
https://pastelink.net/294jpxpl
https://www.nehannn.com/artist-detail/715.html?sasla
https://wokwi.com/projects/376455861429986305
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/1b860f44
https://www.pastery.net/nrpqyf/
https://paiza.io/projects/cblyoyBwmVLSswVg2tIRgA
https://yamcode.com/untitled-102665
https://etextpad.com/6mpxueoelx
https://paste.myst.rs/j73tqoez
https://justpaste.it/djsbp
https://jsitor.com/FXcxni_XG_
https://pastelink.net/caxhjwty
https://www.honor.com/uk/club/topicdetail/watch-speak-no-evil-2024-fullmovie-freeonline-on-engsub/topicid-3620496189325312/
https://etextpad.com/8bmfo4ycdr
https://www.pastery.net/nsachc/
https://paiza.io/projects/H1kIDA4euRE11jv_ShK9_g
https://rextester.com/RCMOH45453
https://jsfiddle.net/s4rfhbyq/
https://rextester.com/IBPRW36355
https://cofradesdegranada.ideal.es/
https://www.bankier.pl/forum/wiadomosc-zapisana?post_id=68176195&obs=&emal=&st=1&thread_id=
https://nodebb.klangknecht.com/topic/2618/svssvs
https://www.radiowarta.pl/artykul/15959,psi-piknik-znow-we-wrzesni-mozna-pomoc-i-dobrze-sie-bawic
https://www.wilkinswalk.com/blogs/blogger/nike-air-vapormax?comment=133386141860#comments
https://snapdragonbrand.com/blogs/news/granny-square-goodness-an-easy-cardigan-to-make-in-any-size?comment=133386174628#comments
https://challonge.com/id/xbhi5jgu
https://directwinecellars.com.au/blogs/in-the-bottle/what-is-the-difference-between-chianti-and-chianti-classico?comment=134500876585#comments
https://www.akcie.cz/nazor?ID_TEMA=336&ID_NAZOR=392905#sel
https://hello-maypole.myshopify.com/blogs/news/a-wish-list-for-me-a-gift-guide-for-you?comment=134510412090#comments
https://www.kamiactivewear.co.uk/blogs/blog/coral-reefs-as-a-marker-of-environmental-change?comment=129459323034#comments
https://smartsnack.cl/blogs/news/beneficios-de-dejar-el-azucar-y-tips-para-lograrlo?comment=137112617138#comments
https://www.lomarfarms.com/blogs/news/people?comment=136496185649#comments
https://www.lacabaneasavon.fr/blogs/blog-la-cabane-a-savon/les-savons-naturels-un-soin-naturellement-sain?comment=138381099341#comments
http://www.mahamodo.com/webmaster_special/yymmdd_text/25541105.aspx?id=58
Leave a comment