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Coral Reef Case Study

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Recommended: Effects of coral bleaching

It is important that coral reefs recover once they have been damaged, some of the consequences are; less diverse reef communities, decline in fisheries, tourism and coastal protection (Hoegh-Guldberg et al, 2007). There are 5 potential predictors for how well a coral reef will recover after bleaching (Graham, Nash & Kool, 2011). Firstly, the reef characteristic, if the skeleton of the reef is still present it is likely to maintain ecological processes and therefore recover rapidly (Graham, Nash & Kool, 2011). Secondly, the connectivity of the reef, high connectivity of coral reefs is important for recovery, isolated reefs are more likely to have a slow recovery (Graham, Nash & Kool, 2011). Thirdly, the ecological characteristics of the reef, …show more content…

Studying the animals that live amongst the coral reefs can give information on the health of the coral reef as there are significant relationships between structure and complexity of the coral and the diversity of the fauna (Chabanet et al, 1997). There is a lot of opinions regarding the relationships coral reefs hold with the diversity and the abundances of the fish that inhabit them, according to Öhman & Rajasuriya (1998) there are two clear correlations, structural complexity and species diversity, and that live coral cover increases the abundance of butterflyfish. The majority of the fish that feed on live corals are butterflyfish, Chaetodonitdae, other species include; Labridae, Tetraodontidae, Balistidae, Monacanthidae, Pomacentridae and Scaridae, this means that if these species are present, then there is a high chance there is live coral present too (Cole, Pratchett & Jones, 2008). Reef communities are strongly influenced by various aspects of reef structure, abundances of certain species, families and trophic groups are correlated with habitat due to features like food availability and shelter (Öhman & Rajasuriya, 1998). From the data collected for this study, the parrot fish is the only herbivore in which feeds on algae, but there are other species whose data has been collected, who also eat algae as well as small fish and/or coral. Herbivores have been known to play a part in the corals resilience, they keep algae cover low, allowing coral cover to expand (Noström et al, 2009). However it is found that although parrotfish help corals by removing a main competitor, macro algae, they too consume certain species of coral on certain reefs, this can result in mortality of the coral or even the coral reef (Rotjan et al, 2006). Bellwood, Hughes and Hoey (2006) found that herbivorous fish like parrot fish and surgeon fish weren’t the

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1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to investigate the impacts of urban development on biodiversity at stumers creek dog beach. This report will include data collected from the creek including; water samples, soil samples and animal and excrement surveys in order to determine the health of the environment. 1.2 Location Stumers Creek is located in Coolum Beach, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia. The sub catchment of Stumers Creek covers an area of 13km2.

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Oceans are peaceful, majestic, and filled with amazing and vibrant color. A lot of the prostown beauty in oceans can be credited to coral reefs. Lately though, natural coral reefs have been dying for various reasons, and some people believe that artificial reefs can help not only the natural reefs, but other surrounding ecosystems in their environment. Various articles use rhetorical techniques in hopes of enhancing their articles about whether or not artificial reefs are helping or harming the oceans. The first article, “Concern Lingers on Success of Artificial Reefs”, was written by Charles Q. Choi, and for Live Science, looks at both the pro and con side of artificial reefs.

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Introduction: World War 2 was a very significant time in Australia’s history and it was a defining point because it played a large part in shaping the way other countries viewed it. One of these events was the battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. This battle was a triumphant point for the allied forces (Australia and US) as they fought through a number of naval engagements to keep the Japanese from cutting Australia’s supply lines from America. The battle of the Coral Sea was a turning point in the war for multiple reasons such as the major events throughout the battle, the outcome and the measures taken to cause that outcome.

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The reef biome and the rainforest biome are two of the most diverse and fascinating biomes on our planet. Both biomes are characterized by high biodiversity, complex ecological interactions, and unique environmental conditions. Despite their many similarities, these two biomes are different in several ways, including their distribution, physical characteristics, and ecological functions. The reef biome is a marine biome that is characterized by shallow, sunlit waters, and high levels of biodiversity.

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This means that the reefs are losing their rigid structures. The reefs still have hope to become recovered from the effects of bleaching. The document states that “for the recovered reef, live coral cover was comparable to the undisturbed reefs across all zones and exposures” which shows that a successful coral recovery can result in the corals returning to their natural state before the bleaching process (Graham). These two studies support each other because the Chauka’s study shows that light exposure due to the lack of turbidity results in coral bleaching while Graham’s study shows that the sloped and crested reefs experience less light exposure resulting in less coral bleaching. Another study by Emily Hardman, a professor of the School of Ocean Sciences at the University of Wales, discusses the effects of coral bleaching on the reefs in Rodrigues which are located in the Indian Ocean.

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Thus it is much better to prevent coral bleaching than to accomplish its recovery which may take many

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There are four main classes of coral reefs, as broken down by scientists. These are Atolls, Fringing Reefs, Barrier Reefs, and Patch reefs. Atolls are found in the form of rings, and are mostly found in the middle of the sea. They form when islands amid fringing reefs sink into the sea or the sea level rises around them. The fringing reefs continue to grow and eventually form circles with lagoons inside.

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I lived for more than 30 years in suburban Detroit. There are many areas in Michigan that are beautiful and the Indian summers are glorious. Unfortunately, there were too many years where the weather jumped from a mildly warm summer right into winter, almost skipping autumn entirely. The winters in Michigan seemed to go on forever.

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If lionfish overtake a coral reef, they can consume over one-hundred types of species of fish. Also, the fish that lionfish consume are necessary for habitat health because they regulate algae. Lionfish have been known to exist in various new areas including Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean (Morris, J.A., Jr., and P.E. Whitfield). Lionfish act as

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Coral Reefs help the world in so many ways, why shouldn't we help in return? Coral Reefs are all over the world, and are called "the rainforests of the sea." Coral Reefs are the largest living thing in the world, yet only cover less than 1% of the worlds surface and that number is dropping, fast. But fortunately, Coral Reefs bring in money, protect fish, and give beauty. We need Coral Reefs for so many reasons, which means we need to protect Coral Reefs for so many reasons.

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Growing up on the East Coast of Australia, i have always been interested in the the ecological processes of the marine environment: What resources does the ocean provide? What are the impacts of our daily habits? and why do the majority of us know so little about something that covers 71% of the earth? My interest was sparked at a young age, after a school trip consisting of a project studying the Great Barrier Reef. I was amazed, both in the beauty and the complexity of the ecosystem, and yet puzzled as to how it was being tarnished at such a incomprehensible rate.

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Though both sites in this study were unlikely to suffer from sewage or industrial pollution (“fair” coral coverage) as they are located very far from major cities (effect from nearby settlements are not apparent), indicating that overfishing is more likely to strongly affect the marine ecosystem in the area. Thus, it is pivotal to address the issue of overfishing as removal of key fish species will often lead to physical break-down of the entire coral reef ecosystem (McClanahan, 1995; Roberts, 1995; McClanahan et al., 1996). It is therefore suggested awareness program be conducted with local residents to reduce demand of fish that has a higher value and could contribute much more economically to them through tourism. Stricter enforcements by the government agencies should be practiced to prevent illegal

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“Coral reefs live within a fairly narrow envelope of environmental conditions constrained by water temperatures, light, salinity, nutrients, bathymetry and the aragonite saturation state of seawater (Buddemeier and Kinzie 1976; Kleypas et al. 1999; Hoegh-Guldberg 2005). Their natural environment, at the interface of land, sea and the atmosphere, can vary quickly and potentially be stressful.” (Eakin, Lough, Heron, & Stednick, 2009). According to (McField, 2017)

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Loss of coral reefs would be devastating to one of the most grand pools of biodiversity in the whole world They help seed the oceans and provide food to a complex web of organisms that lead all the way to man. They act as natural barriers to shorelines, and as they die, coastlines become more susceptible to damage and flooding; tropical storms and high waves would be the ones that could make the most damage if coral reefs were to disappear. Of course, not only we are the ones to be damaged by this, but other animals in the marine ecosystem too, like sharks. Sharks work in the ocean and in coral reefs by cycling nutrients between it and the open ocean, removing invasive species, and getting rid of weak fish carrying disease; if coral reefs were to disappear, then sharks would lose one of their main ways to obtain food and nutrients.

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In this research paper we will explore more about coral reefs and their importance. Coral reefs are communities of living organisms. They are made up of fishes, plants, and many other creatures. They have been around for millions of years: less than the 0.1% of the world’s ocean floor Is covered by coral reefs, however they grow very slowly, from 0.3 cm to 10 cm per year.

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