Page 37 - Coral Reef Teachers Guide
P. 37
Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide Life on the Coral Reef
This level of variety in the environment ben- A study released in April 2013 has shown
efits many coral reef animals, which, for ex- that air pollution can also stunt the growth
ample, may feed in the sea grass and use of coral reefs; researchers from Australia,
the reefs for protection or breeding.Reefs are Panama and the United Kingdom used cor-
home to a large variety of animals, including al records (between 1880 and 2000) from
fish, seabirds, sponges, cnidarians (which the western Caribbean to show the threat
includes some types of corals and jellyfish), of factors such as coal-burning and volca-
worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, nic eruptions. IIn El Nino-year 2010, pre-
cleaner shrimp, spiny lobsters and crabs), liminary reports show global coral bleaching
mollusks (including cephalopods), echino- reached its worst level since another El Nino
derms (including starfish, sea urchins and year, 1998, when 16% of the world’s reefs
sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and died as a result of increased water tempera-
sea snakes. Aside from humans, mammals ture. In Indonesia’s Aceh province, surveys
are rare on coral reefs, with visiting ceta- showed some 80% of bleached corals died.
ceans such as dolphins being the main ex- Scientists do not yet understand the long-
ception. A few of these varied species feed term impacts of coral bleaching, but they do
directly on corals, while others graze on al- know that bleaching leaves corals vulnerable
gae on the reef. Coral reefs are dying around to disease, stunts their growth, and affects
the world. In particular, coral mining, ag- their reproduction, while severe bleaching
ricultural and urban runoff, pollution (or- kills them. General estimates show approx-
ganic and inorganic), overfishing, blast fish- imately 10% of the world’s coral reefs are
ing, disease, and the digging of canals and dead. About 60% of the world’s reefs are at
access into islands and bays are localized risk due to destructive, human-related ac-
threats to coral ecosystems. Broader threats tivities. By the 2030s, 90% of reefs are ex-
are sea temperature rise, sea level rise and pected to be at risk from both human activ-
pH changes from ocean acidification, all as- ities and climate change; by 2050, all coral
sociated with greenhouse gas emissions. reefs will be in danger.
(between 1880 and 2000) from the western
Caribbean.
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