While not entirely distinct from climate change, the changing temperatures in the atmosphere have upset the pH balance, because the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide.
This causes the water to become more acidic. The rapid acidification contributes to coral bleaching events. In addition to climate change, pollutants in ocean waters also disturb the coral reefs. One of the most common forms of pollution that harms coral is nutrient enrichment.
This stems from an excessive influx of phosphorus or nitrate run-off into the ocean from agricultural fertilizer, storms that upset manure lagoons and other waste water sites, industrial pollution, and even household products.
As the phosphorus and nitrate balance in the water changes, toxic algae blooms occur. Too much algae affects coral by blocking their pores, blocking light, and making coral less disease-resistant. A variety of other risks can also impact coral: anchor damage, overfishing and harvesting near coral, dredging of the ocean floor, cyclones, diseases and population explosions of organisms that eat coral.
However, scientists are developing solutions that aid the regrowth of coral to improve their chances of resilience, given lower ocean temperatures. Scientists in Florida are fragmenting and harvesting coral in nurseries, since coral can reproduce by cloning themselves. Almost 90 percent of coral species are farmed this way around the world. As they grow, scientists attach the new polyps onto the damaged reefs.
This process speeds up the rate of coral growth substantially. However, this process eliminates important genetic diversity that occurs when coral reproduce in pairs. Coral have the capability of reproducing sexually, which leads to genetic diversity, when they release sperm and eggs into the water.
Scientists are synchronizing the coral spawning times with restoration assistance. Other efforts to help coral include genetic modification to become stress-resistant, lab-breeding followed by replanting in the wild and super-gene inducing pressures, to bring out the necessary genes capable of resisting stressful conditions.
Can you imagine miles and miles on end of miraculously complex, three-dimensional dreamscapes that have evolved over centuries? Coral reefs are recognized in 29 World Heritage sites across the world, because they truly are marvels to witness. After a recent dive, Laurie Raymundo recalls how the emotional impact of her work hit her. Coral reefs are found off the coasts of countries and regions in the world. They mostly live between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, close to the equator.
They span roughly , square miles under water. The largest coral reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef near Australia, extending 1, miles. It can even be seen from space. The second largest reef is in the Red Sea near Egypt and the corals there have the rare ability to withstand higher temperatures. Corals come in two main types : hard and soft. A stiff limestone skeleton gives the hard coral a stony appearance. They grow in round, branching or flat formations.
Soft corals have a more delicate appearance, growing in spirals or tree-like formations. Some of the oldest coral, stony coral, have existed for million years.
The species living near coral reefs all perform functions that mutually benefit the other species. Coral reef colonies rely on the algae living in their polyps for nutrient exchange and food.
Fish living near coral reefs are often neon-colored, vibrantly patterned fish. The interconnected web of life has a complex food chain complicated by the mutual protections some species provide. Predators like sharks and grouper fish keep smaller fish populations in check.
Parrot fish eat coral, while cleaner fish and shrimp eat parasites on other fish. Marine worms filter the water, snails graze on algae and sea stars eat the snails. Crabs and sea cucumbers sweep the sea floor as scavengers. As for protection, sea anemones and crabs protect one another, while sea squirts, salps and mollusks filter the water by eating phytoplankton.
Nearby sea sponges provide safe places for crustaceans and young fish as well as barnacles and small mollusks. Meanwhile, nudibrands, sea stars, turtles and fish feed off of the sponges.
With so many beautiful life giving interconnections centered on the coral reefs, the loss that coral bleaching represents goes far beyond a single-species issue. Coral reefs are vital connection builders, impacting both life in the ocean and on land. Shop Now. Coral reefs are home to over 4, species of fish , species of coral and thousands of other plants and animals.
This diversity of species provides a large gene pool giving communities more resilience during extreme environmental conditions and climate change.
This is important to the overall health of an ecological community. With greater species diversity, the impact of losing any one species to extinction will be less. The enormous diversity of coral reef organisms also provides potential for new medicines or other products that may be developed from biochemicals that these organisms produce.
Most coral reef organisms have not been studied for their potential benefits to medicine and industry. Coral reefs act as a natural barrier protecting coastal beaches, cities, and communities from the waves of the ocean. Nearly million people depend on coral reefs to protect them from storm surges and waves. Without coral reefs, many buildings would become vulnerable to storm damage. Coral reefs are an important food source for the people who live near the reefs and are crucial for worlds fisheries providing them with a significant source of protein.
In developing countries, the reef is said to contribute to one-quarter of the total fish catch providing food resources for tens of millions of people.
Thousands of species can be found living on one reef. The Great Barrier Reef contains over coral species, 1, fish species, 4, mollusc species and six of the world's seven sea turtle species. The Coral Triangle - a coral-rich marine region in Southeast Asia that encompasses the waters between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea - is the most biologically diverse marine ecosystem on Earth.
More than million people worldwide depend on reefs for food, jobs and coastal defence. They help protect areas such as mangrove forests and seagrass beds that act as nurseries for marine animals, as well as human coastal populations.
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