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U.S. Coral Reefs-- Imperiled National Treasures by Michael E. Field, Susan A. Cochran, and Kevin R. Evans. Published n.p in 2002
Coral Reefs are home to about 25% of sea creatures. They contribute many factors to their ecosystems. But these undersea mounds are quickly decreasing due to natural forces and human activity.
Summary: This article tells us everything we need to know about coral reefs; what they are, how important they are to us, why they are in peril, and what is being done to preserve them. The coral reef is not only home to 25% of sea animals, but they also contribute hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the United States fishing industry and billions of dollars towards the Nation's tourist industry. These wonderful masses of limestone can be destroyed by natural forces like storms, but they are mostly at risk from human activities. When waters are polluted, the amount of sunlight that can reach these reefs is limited, therefor reducing the amount of photosynthesis happening. Ocean temperatures around the world are rising, putting corals under stress. When corals are stressed, the release algal symbionts that are critical to their health. This process is called coral bleaching. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is working to understand the human impacts on coral reefs and impacts of natural processes. Their research is essential for our coral reefs to be saved.
Opinion/Reflection: When I think of endangered species, I think of the obvious ones, such as the polar bear and Asian elephant. I would have never thought of coral reefs as something humans need to start thinking about also. To me, they have always been pretty little globs I would see while snorkeling, but now I realize that they are pretty important! This also ties in with the biosphere in how coral reefs are a keystone species. They are so important to ecosystems that if they were to become extinct, the whole ecosystem would struggle for years and not operate correctly. The fish would have nowhere to live, the algae would have to find somewhere else to grow, and the plankton will grow in numbers! It’s pretty crazy to think about.
Questions:
- What kind of things can we humans do to save the lives of coral reefs?
- Are coral reefs so important to preserve that we should be going out of our way to help them?
- Why do you think coral reefs are so important to their ecosystems?
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteI'm actually really glad you chose to write about coral reefs, because I'm actually a certified scuba driver, and love to visit reefs! I'm actually going to go on vacation during spring break where I'm going diving, and a lot of the reefs are beginning to turn white. It's really sad, because the reefs are absolutely beautiful and the fish are just as great. The pollutants you talk about actually have been found to be sunscreen that tourists put on before they dive or snorkel! There's actually a news article National Geographic wrote a few years ago: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080129-sunscreen-coral.html
Question
"Are coral reefs so important to preserve that we should be going out of our way to help them?"
I believe they are very important, and should be put as a priority to save. Coral Reefs are the homes to millions of different organisms, plants and fish alike, and with the amount of fishing humans do we need to do everything we can to give them better chances of surviving. If we don't at least try to save the reefs, our oceans will eventually be silent and dead.
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteOkay, let me first say, I love the picture!! As someone who has never been snorkeling, it is really neat to see that picture to see how extremely beautiful life underwater is. That being said, coral reefs obviously need to be saved. The ocean is home to many creatures and the coral reefs home to creature inside the ocean. Without coral reefs the entire ecosystem would become unstable. Imagine if your home was being destroyed, you would want someone to come and save it wouldn't you? Even though the organisms living in coral reefs are not human, we should still be willing to help them and any living creature for that matter.
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/09/us/coral-reefs-endangered-in-jamaica.html
Here is another article about coral reefs, these are in Jamaica. They are being destroyed by hurricanes, disease, and overfishing by humans. In the article they took surveys. It says, "Dr. Hughes said that between surveys of the 1970's and the 1990's, overall coral cover in the waters that were examined declined to a mean of 3 percent from 52 percent". That is such a major decrease! When I read that statistic I was literally in shock, something really needs to be done.
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article, Perie! Being a water lover myself, I can't help but have a soft spot for potentially endangered areas of the ocean, especially coral reefs. Did you know that coral turns white when it dies? Most people think that's its natural color, but it only happens when the coral either becomes polluted or stops receiving the nutrients that it needs. Having seen coral reefs myself, I can testify and say that they are one of the most remarkable things I've ver seen in nature. You can observe an entire ecosystem right in front of you, and it's beautiful as well. It makes me so upset to realize that most of the world's coral reefs are dying off, and that endangers all of the creatures that dwell in the sea.
"Why do you think coral reefs are so important to their ecosystems?"
Not only do coral reefs provide a home for many sea-dwelling plants and algae, but it's a source of shelter for many larger and smaller fish that is often very near to the sunlight and nutrients that they need. Without them, many plants populations would crash, as they would have no place to grow. Many fish and small animals would also be homeless,forced to their drift constantly in the ocean until they became extinct or adapt to the deeper waters or the shore lines.
This article seemed really interesting! I never noticed how important coral reefs are. The thing that got to me the most is that we can prevent the destoying of coral reefs. It all goes back to how we are polluting this world. We do not make the concious effort to think about what impact we are making on other creatures. If we thought before we did something potentially harmful, just think of all the animals that we could be saving!
ReplyDelete"Why do you think coral reefs are so important to their ecosystems?"
Coral reefs are very important to out ecosystem. They are kind of everything. Animals need them for food and shelter. As Perie mentioned in her summary, many animals depend on the coral reeves. They could potentially be a keystone species. If we take away coral reeves, it will affect many of the species. The species that depend on coral reeves will have to adapt again, or if the cannot, their population will wipe out.