Climate Change On Coral Reefs

The Coral reefs that are known and loved the worldfrom the atmosphere by dissolving it into carbonic acid,
over are in danger of being killed off by the effects ofthis in turn dissolves carbonates. One of the
Climate Change. The Coral Reefs are one of theCarbonates affected on the coral reefs is aragonite,
richest places for Biodiversity, but they are also one ofthis is what the reef uses to grow their skeletons,
the most neglected. They are also a benefit to notwithout this corals become brittle and are unable to
only the sea creatures that inhabit them but thegrow and repair damage caused by fish, snails and
environment and people also, buy providing;natural erosion.
· Shore protection from wave impact and storms.Citing the results of previous scientific studies, the
· Provide and abundance of food and medicineauthors demonstrated that a doubling of the levels of
material and researcharagonite found in the pre-industrial times to today.
· Helps the local communities by providing aAtmospheric carbon dioxide levels stood at 280 parts
tourism trade.per million for the pre-industrial age, present day levels
The loss of the coral reefs will have a catastrophicof carbon dioxide are 380ppm. Scientists expect this
effect on communities that rely on them, many offigure will rise significantly by the end of the century.
which rely on fish and other marine life that shelter inIt has been suggested that the last 50 years has seen
the reefs. It would leave coastlines open to the effectsan increase in the water temperatures of tropical and
of storm surges and damage lifeline revenue fromsubtropical areas, this has pushed existing reef building
tourism. Among one of the first to fall will be Australia'scorals to their thermal capacities.
Great Barrier Reef. The world's largest organicCoral Reefs identified as "Under threat" at the moment
structure will fall victim of the acidifying oceans.are;
Researchers from round the world are now voicingPhilippines is one of the most threatened coral hot
their concerns after their studies have revealed thespots around, the reefs face damage from pollution,
following;run-off from logging, and dynamite fishing
· 98% of the world's Coral reefs are subject toGulf of Guinea has approximately 20 sq km of reef
become too acidic for corals to grow by the middle ofbetween four islands off the west African coast under
the century.threat from coastal development and coral harvesting.
· 20% of the world's coral reefs have beenSunda Islands Part of the coral triangle, one of the
effectively destroyed and show no immediatemost diverse coastal areas. Already at threat from
prospects of recoverydestructive fishing and reef fish trade
· Increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in theSouthern Mascarene Islands Reefs surrounding
atmosphere may be imperilling the coral's ability toMauritius, Reunion and Rodriguez islands in southern
construct reefs.Indian Ocean are under threat from pollution from the
· Many reefs have already been affected bysugar cane industry and agricultural development
bleaching, a process in which the coral loses its colourEastern South Africa Next to Cape Floristic, this
and turns a pallid white, caused by elevated seasmaller reef is also at risk from over-fishing and
surface temperatures.tourism
The oceans cover approximately 75% of the earth'sIt is a sobering thought that serious, if not devastating,
surface and can absorb approximately a third of theconsequences for the future of coral reefs are
20 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide produced each yearforeseen even though the authors have used the
by humans. While the oceans do help to slow thelower limits for projections of global warming and
effects of global warming by keeping the gas awayocean acidification in their analyses.