Causes And Impacts Of The Restoration Of Coral Reefs And Mangrove Systems

Human activities pose a threat to Seagrass beds because of boating, stepping on the seagrass, which damage the root system, dredging, pollution and construction practices.

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

Most people eat only what they need, however others eat all the available food until they can’t move. Small aquatic animals and plants behave in the latter fashion and eat until they run out of food. When the supply of food keeps coming, the small plants and animals keep eating and growing and eventually one dominant form will take over, changing the waterway, sometimes permanently. This situation, called eutrophication, exists in Little Narragansett Bay (LNB) with the Seaweed Cladophora and the nutrient nitrogen. Nitrogen normally restricts growth by being scarce in marine waters (Nixon, 2009). If we bring LNB back into balance by reducing nitrogen, we may be able to undo some of the damage, allow seagrass to regrow and return the associated

The ocean is two-thirds of our planet a vast blue landscape home to many biomes which according to Boyce Thorne-Miller “(ecosystem types) corresponding to sets of environmental conditions that vary with depth, latitude, and longitude” (16). However, the ocean and its biomes is under attack from the changing environment. We can see this through coral reef biomes as they make their home near the shores. Through coral reefs we can view the effects that these changes have on the ocean through how the coral reef biome is affected. Humans are a danger to the coral reefs and the wildlife that resides in the biome. The pollution being released into the environment is poisoning the coral and causes death and malformation to the wildlife. The ocean is changing due to global warming which is causing a change in the temperature and rising water levels leading to a change in the stabile areas coral can survive. The increasing acidification of the ocean is causing the coral reefs to die. I will be looking at the effects these issues cause to coral reefs biomes and the ocean to see the similarities in how they affect both.

In Belize, mangroves estimate up to 3.4% of the land area, about 296 square miles (CITE). Mangroves serve important ecological service such as erosion control, filter, and clean, while also providing shelter to many marine organisms like lemon sharks, invertebrates, shrimp, and manatees. There is a lot of biodiversity in mangroves and due to the clearance for urban and rural development, many of these organisms are losing their homes (Patterson). Belize’s coastal areas are usually sea grass beds. Sea grass destruction strip away habitats from numerous lobster, conch, fish, turtles, and manatees (CITE). Sea grass is the manatee’s main food source and destruction of these beds limits their grazing and range. Watercraft traffic in these shallow areas is also another reason of harming the sea grass beds.

Despite coral reefs covering less than .2% of the ocean’s area, they support 25% of the marine fish species. The reefs also provide 25% of the fish caught in developing countries as well as employ millions of fishermen to get the job done (Reaser 1502). Although coral reefs may not support everyone directly, they support surrounding countries. In the Maldives, tourism revenues amount for 45% of their gross national product. In the Caribbean, $89 billion was raised in 1990. Florida’s reefs bring in $1.6 billion every year (Reaser 1502). The Great Barrier Reef in Australia brings in $1.5 billion annually (Munday 263). Unfortunately, the coral reef tourist industry will lose money where coral reefs are affected. Coral reefs protect ocean shores as well as reduce storm damage, erosion, and flooding due to intense waves. Over time, reefs have formed lagoons and calm shore lines that provide a habitat for numerous species (Reaser 1502). Because of the strong dependence on coral reefs by humans and nonhumans, awareness of their danger should be raised! Shoreline erosion will increase because corals won’t be strong enough to withstand intense waves due to lack of skeletal growth. Our shorelines will be dirtier and less safe without reefs to protect humans and nonhumans from intense waves which may cause destruction (Reaser 1502).

In "The Reefs" Sophie is worrying about solving this environmental issue. She is talking to herself about this issue. The saying "You're just a high school kid" and "What am I doing...I have been warned". After a snorkeling trip, she finally knows what to do. After having her friend Sam over she finally has the biological solution in hand. After her presentation, she gets a resounding

Imagine that you’re on vacation in the Caribbean, and you decide to go snorkeling at a nearby reef. When you get there, you are amazed by what you see; hundreds of brightly colored fish dart between corals and algae. The coral itself is a different story. It is various shades of cool and warm colors. An underwater rainbow! All surrounded by light aqua crystal clear water. As you float in a circle you jump, it’s a shark! But he barely glances your way before gliding gracefully away. Doesn’t the reef sound amazing? Now imagine that you return to the reef several years later to withhold its beauty yet again. But you see a completely different sight; where there used to be rainbows of color and an abundance of underwater wildlife, there was

Where have all the coral reefs gone? Reef deforestation has been occurring around the globe at an alarming rate and is affecting us more than we think. These beautiful reefs are a diverse marine version of a tropical rainforest and is an ecosystem that homes thousands of species. Coral reefs grow in oceans that are clear and clean and they need the sun for photosynthesis. Unfortunately, this underwater paradise is becoming less and less of an attraction due to the destruction of them. Places such as Mexico, Australia and Florida are having shortages of income due to the lack of coral reefs.

Mangroves are an essential part of the Tampa Bay Estuary as they help maintain the overall health of the state’s coastal zones. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Tampa Bay was in its worst condition as a result of unregulated pollution into the Bay. Environmental regulations beginning in the 1970s with the Clean Water Act improved conditions in the bay but even today there persists a problem with pollution and the destruction of natural habitats (Water Resource Management and Environmental Assessment & Restoration, 2014). Today, the Tampa Bay has lost over 44% of its coastal wetlands acreage, including mangrove forests and salt marshes (Department of Environmental Protection, 2012). There is still decline as waterfront development and pollution threaten the abundance of this essential tree. If the mangroves disappear from the Tampa Bay estuary, the area will suffer adverse ecological and economic effects from the reduction of sea life. A reduction of mangrove trees can even increase damage caused by natural disasters (Sandilyan and Kathiresan, 2012).

The present study consistent with previous finding by Casey et al. (2016) and Jennings et al. (1995) regarding bottom up processes in coral reef ecosystem. Also show a profound contrast to widely accepted top-down processes in coral reef ecosystem, indicated by weak relationship on prey-predator interaction and strong positive relationship between hard coral cover and fish biomass.

Corals are marine invertebrate species. They are found throughout all of the world’s oceans. The largest coral reefs are found in clear, shallow oceans where they thrive. According to the Coral Reef Alliance, there are hundreds of different species of coral (Brown, 1997). Corals are unique, each being of different shape, size, and color. Corals commonly get mistaken for being part of the Plantae Kingdom. In actuality, the coral is an animal referred to as a polyp, part of the Animalia Kingdom belonging to the phylum Cnidaria (Brown 1997). Corals are often described as a colony of many polyps.

Only, due to the constant stream of warm tropical water coming from the Caribbean, South Africa and the bay of Florida mixing with the waters from the Gulf of Mexico, which also create the tropical air temperature and humidity can they tolerate this location. When these two significantly, differently tempered water streams merge they create gyres (spiraling water currents). Kind of like an underwater hurricane.

Ground water contamination, damage to coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove ecosystems, salinization of soils and damage to vegetation, tsunami-generated waste and debris, impacts on sewage collection and treatment systems, damage to protected areas, coastline erosion and inundation, changes in river hydrology, and loss of livelihoods based on natural resources or ecosystem services are all examples of damage caused by a tsunami.

Todays coral reefs are easily overlooked going unnoticed by many of people around the world .What many of people fail to relize though is how much of an important role they play in todays society. For centuries are oceans have adapted to climate change along with the many organisms that inhabit them. But with in the last century our oceans have experienced climate change on scale like no other. With the oceans temperature and pollution levels rising the National oceanic atmospheric association (NOAA)predicted that by the year 2050 nearly 90% of earths coral reefs will be dead and dying . In a recent news article called Intervention the author stated that “Scientist are now scrambling to ensure that at least a fraction of these unique ecosystem survives beyond the next three decades. The health of the planet depends on it: Coral reefs support a quarter of all marine species, as well as half a billion people around the world. “