Coral Reefs Template
Why We Need Coral Reefs
Coral ecosystems provide a source of food for billions of people worldwide. Coral reefs protect the coastline from potential storms and erosion that helps prevent property damage, loss of life for populations that live on the coastline. Local communities benefit from fishing that provides jobs for many people (Harvey et al., 2018). US fisheries are estimated to a value of more than $100 million annually, a benefit reaped from the existence of coral reefs on oceans. The species found in coral ecosystems have chemical compounds that can be used to develop new medicine for chronic diseases like cancer and heart diseases. Marine creatures also get shelter and habitat in coral ecosystems. The similarities include food and protection of the coastline to prevent loss of lives for the humans, ocean creatures, and the coral ecosystem. Both ocean and human species can access food in coral reefs. The differences include; human beings benefit from the coral reefs as they provide safety for their properties and lives as well as medicine to some of the conditions they suffer. Also, governments earn revenues from tourists and fisheries.
Threats to Coral Reefs
Coral bleaching is one of the significant threats to coral reefs. Coral bleaching emanates from high temperatures, which is a result of climate change that affects the reefs. The increased levels of sea warming can lead to the loss of microscopic algae, which is responsible for the production of food for corals; therefore, bleaching can kill coral ecosystems, making them vulnerable to infectious disease threats. Coral bleaching tends to weaken the reefs leading to their death, and it’s harder for them to recover after sustaining bleaching events. I chose coral bleaching because it has a deleterious effect on the corals’ ecosystem, which requires immediate intervention to protect its survival.
Ocean acidification is another threat that comes from a change in ocean chemistry that reacts to carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Corals are vulnerable to OA as they require carbon ions in aragonite form, which is responsible for building calcium carbonate skeletons. Thus the OA contributes to ocean acidity that reduces the presence of dissolved salts and ions required by corals that help form the calcium carbonate structure (Pendleton et al., 2016). OA affects the physiological and behavioral processes that are significant to coral reef systems. OA occurs as a result of the released carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is a significant threat because it can lead to permanent damage to the coral reefs; that is why I chose it. Sedimentation is the primary threat to coral species and ecosystems; it affects the species’ ability to feed, grow, and reproduce (Harvey et al., 2018). Physical and chemical properties are the leading causes of sediments that affect reefs. I chose sediments as one of the threats to coral reefs because increased sediments induce a decline in coral reefs, especially coral organisms’ physiology.
Strategies for Protecting Coral Reefs
The threats mentioned in the paper require strategies to ensure that the coral reef threats are mitigated. Coral bleaching: Due to the increase in bleaching events for the past decade, adaptive strategies such as acclimatization, which is phenotypic plasticity that enhances optimization of the physiology performance of corals to respond to environmental changes, (Olguín‐López et al., 2018). This is the best strategy because climate change poses a challenge, and adaptive techniques for organisms to resist and survive high temperatures can reduce mortality rates. The cost of acclimatization is high in some areas that could be applied. Ocean Acidification: The reduction of CO2 emissions to increase the PH of seawater. The benefit of the strategy is to increase the uptake of anthropogenic carbon to mitigate the distribution of CO2 that causes acidification (Billé et al., 2013). It is the best strategy because PH enhances the physiological processes of the coral ecosystem. The implementation of such policies is very costly to developing countries. Sedimentation: According to Tuttle et al., the management of coastal activities can minimize the degradation of water quality and habitat, which can mitigate the decline of the reef during climate change. (Tuttle, et al., 2020). The sediments can be suspended or deposited on the coral surface because they contain nutrients, toxicants, and pathogens that impact the survival and growth of the coral reefs. It is the best strategy because it will reduce coral diseases and increase the nutrients needed for the survival of the organisms. This method is not costly.
Voluntary or Mandated Protection Strategies
Acclimatization strategy for combating coral bleaching can utilize both voluntary and mandated policies from environmental agencies. Governments and NOAA are working together to find adaptive strategies that can be implemented to protect the coral reefs against bleaching. Developing policies that can prevent the deterioration of coral reefs have been pursued by governments to ensure that various species do not become extinct instead to become adaptive to the changing climate. It can be either voluntary or mandated policies since I considered the scope of the problem and the availability of environmental agencies that are responsible for protecting marines. The reduction of CO2 emissions to mitigate and reduce ocean acidification may require federal and mandated policies because the emissions are as a result of industrialization, and not all nations are willing to take responsibility. Policies such as the Paris Treaty that were implemented on a global scale to reduce global warming can also be applied to such situations. Here the mandated determination is induced by factors such as cost and political debates that can be experienced as a result. The management of coastal activities can minimize the degradation of water quality hence reducing sedimentation. The conservation and restoration of the coral reef is a federal government’s responsibility, which can be extended to policies that ensure that populations refrain from coastal activities that compromise the quality of water (Harvey et al., 2018). The federal government can make robust plans that could guide community members in the protection of the marine. The national governments’ involvement is determined by factors such as political debates and public awareness that require policies that are educative to local communities.
Enforcement Methods
The local, federal, and global governments can work collaboratively with environmental and conservation agencies and other experts to understand and fund the acclimatization process. The challenge related to this strategy is the lack of enough knowledge and expertise to apply the technology. It can be addressed through research and experimentation. A strict and robust policy on a global scale to eliminate the emission of GHG gases into the atmosphere may also integrate punitive measures if the policy is violated (Billé et al., 2013). Treaties can be involved to ensure that developing nations are supported to adhere to carbon emissions laws because some countries can opt-out. Minimizing coastal activities can be enforced through directives and regulations from the local and federal governments. The challenge is weak government support, which can be addressed by creating awareness of the dangers of destroyed coral reefs.
References
Billé, R., Kelly, R., Biastoch, A., Harrould-Kolieb, E., Herr, D., Joos, F., & Gattuso, J. P. (2013). Taking action against ocean acidification: a review of management and policy options. Environmental Management, 52(4), 761-779. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-013-0132-7
Harvey, B. J., Nash, K. L., Blanchard, J. L., & Edwards, D. P. (2018). Ecosystem‐based management of coral reefs under climate change. Ecology and Evolution, 8(12), 6354-6368. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024134/
Olguín‐López, N., Gutiérrez‐Chávez, C., Hérnández‐Elizárraga, V. H., Ibarra‐Alvarado, C., & Rojas‐Molina, A. (2018). Coral Reef Bleaching: An Ecological and Biological Overview. Corals in a Changing World, 75. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/corals-in-a-changing-world/coral-reef-bleaching-an-ecological-and-biological-overview
Pendleton, L., Comte, A., Langdon, C., Ekstrom, J. A., Cooley, S. R., Suatoni, L., & Doherty, C. (2016). Coral reefs and people in a high-CO2 world: where can science make a difference to people?. PloS one, 11(11), e0164699. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0164699#:~:text=We%20acknowledge%20that%20coral%20reef,de%2Doxygenation%20%5B9%5D.
Tuttle, L. J., Johnson, C., Kolinski, S., Minton, D., & Donahue, M. J. (2020). How does sediment exposure affect corals? A systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence, 9(1), 1-7. Retrieved from https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-020-00200-0