As Lindy Kerin explains
in her article entitled Coral Bleaching
Event ‘Worst Since 1998’, coral bleaching is currently at its worst and
humans are to blame. The article goes on to say that coral bleaching has gone
on to hit an area known as the Coral triangle, which has more than 500 coral
species, which makes it the “richest marine biodiversity zone on the planet”(Kerin
1). The bleaching presently spans from the West Indian Ocean to the Pacific.
The cause of this bleaching, which is the worst case since 1998, is due to an
increase in water temperatures. This increase of one to three degrees is too
much for the coral to handle and after one or two months the reefs experience
sever coral mortality. The temperature increase is due to climate change from
the increase of green house gas emissions and "It's really showing that
climate change is not something that's going to happen in the future - it's
something that's affecting systems right now” (Kerin 1). Tom Mohr the manager of the climate change program at the
Australian Conservation Foundation says that we need to take steps to
reduce green house gas emissions, and that “we need to do to protect their
future, but we also need to make sure that ocean acidification, another impact
of greenhouse gas emissions, is also reduced." If these steps are
taken it is possible that the water temperatures will rise and coral bleaching
will stop.
This article greatly relates to the
course because coral bleaching has a great impact on the ecosystem. As
explained in the article, when coral bleaches, fish and other species that live
on and around the coral can no longer live there. Therefore coral bleaching interrupts
both marine life, and the lives of humans who maintain fisheries. As the
population of coral dwindles, so does the organisms that rely on it. Also, this
article proves that the environment would benefit in many ways if green house
gas emissions were reduced, and climate change was addressed in a more
proactive manner.
I think this article raises some
very important issues. Andrew Baird explained that even the most prominent reef
species known as the Acropora, has been so badly bleached that 80 percent of the
species is dead. I believe that there could be grave consequences if the coral
continues to die off because many people rely on fish that life among the coral
to meet their basic needs such as a form of food and income. Without the coral
there will be less fish and therefore fewer resources for the humans that rely
on them. Not only that, but to see a beautiful species such as coral die off is
a true loss to the environment and a huge loss to the ecosystem as well.
Kerin, Lindy. "Coral Bleaching Event 1998
Worst Since ."ABC News 19
October 2010, n. pag. Print. <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-10-19/coral-bleaching-event-worst-since-1998/2303768>.
This is a healthy and thriving coral reef. Which is a vital part of the ecosystem.
This is a coral reef that has undergone bleaching. A bleached reef will eventually lead to the death of the reef, which is known coral mortality
This is known as a coral bleaching map. The red dots signify areas where there is severe coral bleaching.
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