The DestrucHon of Coral Reefs

The
Destruc+on
of
Coral
Reefs
By
Sam
Dowdle
and
Kim
Braun
How
Coral
Reefs
Die
Global
warming
will
cause
the
oceans
to
warm
and
to
increase
in
salinity,
which
will
kill
off
the
coral
reefs.
How
Coral
Reefs
Die
•  A
slight
rise
in
temperature‐only
one
to
two
degrees‐
can
stress
the
corals.
It
causes
them
to
expel
the
microscopic
organisms,
known
as
zooxanthellae,
which
color
their
+ssues
and
provide
them
with
essen+al
nutrients.
The
warmer
water
allows
for
algae
to
grow
on
the
coral
which
blocks
out
the
sun,
thus
preven+ng
photosynthesis
to
occur.
•  Source
for
figure
and
facts:
hLp://solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm,
hLp://
oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htm
Ideal
Coral
Habitat
Coral
thrive
in
very
strong
currents
and
waves
Zooxanthellae
are
what
make
the
coral
colorful
Ideal
Coral
Habitat
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
At
or
slightly
below
sea
level
Shallow
water
Salinity
must
be
between
30‐40
ppt
Areas
of
intense
wave
ac+on
Temperature
must
be
between
73‐80
°F
•  Source
for
facts:
hLp://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/
students/f95/starmoss/coral.htm#Ideal
%20Environment
The
Bleaching
of
Coral
Reefs
The
Zooxanthellae
have
been
expelled
from
the
coral,
hence
the
no
color
to
the
coral
The
Bleaching
of
Coral
Reefs
•  Due
to
carbon
emmisions
•  Zooxanthellae’s
absence
is
what
cause
the
corals
to
lose
their
colors.
When
the
zooxanthellae
is
released,
the
nutrients
cannot
perform
photosynthesis,
thus
causing
the
corals
to
die.
•  The
loss
of
coral
results
in
a
loss
of
fish
and
marine
invertebrates.
•  Because
the
oceans
absorb
CO2
the
acidity
of
the
ocean
also
can
cause
the
sensi+ve
coral
to
bleach.
•  Pollu+on,
solar
radia+on,
and
bacteria
can
also
cause
the
coral
to
bleach
• 
Source
for
facts:
hLp://www.solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm,
hLp://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htm,
hLp://www.coral.noaa.gov/cleo/coral_bleaching.shtml.
Algae
on
Coral
The
algae
completely
covers
the
skeleton
coral
making
it
an
impossibility
for
the
coral
to
use
photosynthesis
Algae
on
Coral
•  The
expelled
zooxanthellae
is
usually
eaten
by
the
fish
that
live
in
the
coral
reefs;
however
due
to
fishing,
there
are
not
enough
fish
to
consume
all
of
the
algae.
The
surplus
then
seLles
on
the
coral
reefs,
blocking
the
sun
from
reaching
the
coral.
The
algae
receives
it
nutrients
to
survive
from
the
pollutants
humans
release
into
the
oceans.
•  Source
for
facts:
hLp://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/
coral/coral5.htm
Impact
on
the
Ecosystems:
IPCC
Impact
on
the
Ecosystem:
IPCC
•  According
to
the
IPCC
increased
coral
bleaching
when
there
is
an
0
to
1°C
change
in
Global
Mean
Average
Temperature
•  Between
1
and
2.5°C
most
of
the
coral
is
bleached
•  Between
2.5
and
5°C
there
is
widespread
coral
mortality
•  Since
coral
is
so
sensi+ve
any
change
in
global
mean
temperature
harms
the
coral
in
some
way
•  Sources:
IPCC
2007
Report
Conserva+on
There
are
many
steps
you
can
take
to
protect
the
coral
reefs.
By
reducing
carbon
emissions
so
the
oceans
don’t
warm
as
much,
the
coral
reefs
can
come
back
to
life
aeer
bleaching
occurs.
Conserva+on
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Reduce
carbon
emmisions
Create
more
protected
areas
Coral
adapta+on
to
warmer
water
Treat
wastewater
Reduce
use
of
chemically
enhanced
pes+cides
and
fer+lizers
Don’t
touch
the
coral
when
scuba
diving
Recycle
Conserve
water
Reduce
the
dumping
into
oceans
Don’t
anchor
on
reefs
•  Sources
for
facts:
hLp://www.marineparks.wa.gov.au/fun‐facts/coral‐reefs.html,
hLp://www.edf.org/ar+cle.cfm?contentID=4709,
hLp://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/thingsyoucando.html