Picture: This is a bleached coral in the Taxas-Louisiana border as the global warming threat is becoming more serious. In the immense heat wave, many of the coral reefs became like this in the 1998, we do not know if the coral reefs will survive a second wave.
Summary:As global warming hits all parts of the world, sea is another place that is greatly affected. All over the world, coral reefs are greatly damaged due to the severe heat stress in the sea as the world average tempreture is going up. Such bleaching of the coral is not a good sign as it's a sign that the tiny little animals called pylyps that makes up the coral are in a recoil mode. This is due to the algae that are in a symbiotic relationship with the pylyps are spewing out toxins instead as the high heat and sunlight causes the metabolism of the algaes to be out of control. As the pylyps are in recoil mode they get no nutrients so unless the water tempreture becomes normal and algaes are in control again, the corals will die. Though dead corals can be recover back to life by a new pylyps but without a drop in sea tempreture, the coral ecosystem will collapse. With the collapse of coral reef ecosystem, people that rely on fishery will be heavily impacted as the fishery cannot function without the coral reef ecosystem.
Opinion/Reflection: I was very disheartened by this new because this is a disaster that could really hurt the ecosystem and ruin the lives of animals, people and the nature. Whenever I hear stories of human impact that deals negatively to earth, I feel rather sad that I really can't do too much to stop it. I don't throw away trash on the floor and always tries to do whatever I can that would impact the nature the less. I noticed that this article is from 2010 and it's little less than 2 years from that point. I very well do wonder how the coral reefs are doing now. I think it would be for the best of me, my family and everyone/thing in the world for the pollution on Earth to stop.
Question:
1)What can we do to stop such serious problem to be stopped?
2)How will the collapse of coral reef affect our life?
3)What action have you taken so far that is affecting the enviornment postively?
4)Could the animals adapt in to the new enviornmental challange? Why or why not?
After reading Gernwoo's article, I was honestly shocked that global warming had an effect on coral. When I think of global warming, I normally think of the arctic or the depleting ozone layers, because that's normally what I see in the news or have heard in class. So the fact that the coral, which is apparently a beneficial factor to our ecosystem, is being threatened and I had never even had a clue, sort of scares me--but also curious as to what other species are being affected that I, or all of us, don't even know about.
ReplyDeleteTo answer Gernwoo's second question, i found a website that explains what would happen if the coral reefs had in fact died out (posted 2010). Here's the link:
http://www.csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0326/Death-of-coral-reefs-could-devastate-nations
I agree with Gern. There is a lot more that we can do to help stop how we negatively affect the environment. I really hope that things have improved since 2010.
ReplyDeleteAnswering Gern's question 2, it could affect us in many ways. One example would be making fishing harder and we wouldn't be able to get as much food so it could limit our resources. In the leisure part of our lives, it would make things like scuda diving and snorkling a little less exciting.
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised about the coral changing colors and the effectives they have because it seems so unusual for this to occur. I never knew about this before. It is such a big issue I am surprised that I haven’t heard something about this on the news or in the media. I am very disappointed to hear about this because not only this ecosystem is effected but most likely it will have the same effects everywhere else with this coral and pylyps. Also, as Gern said this article was published in 2010 and I wonder if things have gotten better, or worse.
Expansion:
Ask more Questions:
1.)Should we be more worried and should this topic be more “advertised” on the news and other media to bring more attention to this? Why or why not.
2.) If the coral effects the fish and other sea life how do you think people will respond, and do you think they will regret not looking into this before hand.
3.) Are scientists researching how to reverse the effects that the coral have, and the effects they have on the other species? If so how may to find this information?