1. Stop global warming as threat of rising ocean acidity caused by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which could eventually dissolve the calcium carbonate skeletons of reef-building corals.
2.Do not allow current pressures to be continue unabated.
3. Reduce human or nature-caused stress.
4. Reduction of coastal pressures.
5.Reduction of nutrients of the seas or ocean where corals are found.
6. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
7. Stop global warming, pollution from such human activities as sewage and agricultural run-off, and over-fishing as these activities dealt to increase of sea or ocean temperature.
8.Conserve water: The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans.
9. Help reduce air pollution by walking, taking a bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs.
10. Use only ecological or organic fertilizers as these products may flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life.
11.Dispose of your trash properly as any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish.
12.Support reef-friendly businesses by asking the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef, be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort.
13.Plant a tree as trees reduce runoff into the oceans and reduces carbon dioxide in the air thus not producing as much greenhouse gases even if they are respiring which cause global warming that could cause rising ocean acidity and rise in ocean temperature.
14.Practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling and do not touch the reef or anchor your boat on a coral reef as contact with the coral will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill it, so look for sandy bottom or use moorings if available.
15.Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup and even if you do not live near a coral reef coast,then do what many people do during their vacation,visit a coral reef. And also spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth.
17.Spread the word to everyone reminding your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Share this excitement and encourage others to get involved just by telling them how fascinating corals are!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Coral Saving Quest Introduction
Hi, I am Zi Jian, leader of this project and the other members of the project is Rui Rong and Melody. We wanted to take part of this project as we wanted to save the pitiful corals that are now decreasing crictically due to human activaty nowadays. The corals are part of nature. They made the ocean a beautiful place to dive and to enjoy, we should do the same by saving their lives. Think about the corals and see how many good they have done for us.
Toh Zi Jian
Class: 6F
Hobbies: Reading books related to Science(almost everything related to Science)
Cai Rui Rong
Class: 6F
Hobbies: Playing guitar
Melody Ngo Jia Min
Class: 6F
Hobbies: Reading Books
- Billions of corals are in your hands, it only takes a little compassion to save their lives, please support us.
-We will try to answer comments or questions regarding corals.
-We will also write what people thinks about saving corals and why we should save them.
Happenings and Information about Coral Reefs
- About one third of the world’s coral species are threatened with extinction, many corals will disappear by the end of the century unless global warming, pollution and over-fishing are curbed.
-Coral reefs, the only living structures that can be seen from space, are often compared with tropical rainforests for the diversity,wealth of wildlife and plants that live in and around them.
-Their loss could also threaten the 25 per cent of marine species that need them for survival, as well as endangering the livelihoods of people who rely on them either for food or as a source of income.
-Scientist have also investigated that the remaining 141 reef-building coral species but could not gather enough information on them to make an accurate assessment, but they believe many of these corals are also highly likely to be threatened with extinction.
-What to camade the study even more urgent was scientists’ ability lculate what state the corals were in before 1998, when a significant rise in sea-surface temperatures was linked with a worldwide outbreak of coral “bleaching”, when corals as far apart as the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean lost their colour because of heat stress.
-Scientists found that only 13 species of reef-building corals before 1998 would have fallen into the three most-endangered categories. This means there has been an almost 20-fold increase in the threat to corals in a decade.
-They cited rising sea temperatures, caused by global warming, pollution from such human activities as sewage and agricultural run-off, and over-fishing as the biggest threats. But they warn that all of these may be eclipsed by the threat of rising ocean acidity caused by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which could eventually dissolve the calcium carbonate skeletons of reef-building corals.
-When corals die off, so do the other plants and animals that depend on coral reefs for food and shelter, and this can lead to the collapse of entire ecosystems. This is one of the most alarming findings in terms of marine life.
-The threat of the extinction of corals could match the mass extinction that wiped out almost half of the corals 65 million years ago, along with the dinosaurs, in a geological event known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary.
- The scientists said corals are now rated second only to amphibians as the most threatened group of animals on Earth. The proportion of corals threatened with extinction has increased dramatically in recent decades and exceeds most terrestrial groups.
-If the sea-surface temperatures continue to rise, causing more frequent episodes of coral bleaching, it will be increasingly difficult for corals to survive further environmental insults.
-These results show that as a group, reef-building corals are more at risk of extinction than all terrestrial groups, apart from amphibians, and are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
-The loss of corals will have profound implications for millions of people who depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods.
-We either reduce CO2 emissions now or many corals will be lost forever. Improving water quality, global education and the adequate funding of local conservation practices are also essential to protect the foundation of beautiful and valuable coral reef ecosystems.
source: yahoo.com
-Coral reefs, the only living structures that can be seen from space, are often compared with tropical rainforests for the diversity,wealth of wildlife and plants that live in and around them.
-Their loss could also threaten the 25 per cent of marine species that need them for survival, as well as endangering the livelihoods of people who rely on them either for food or as a source of income.
-Scientist have also investigated that the remaining 141 reef-building coral species but could not gather enough information on them to make an accurate assessment, but they believe many of these corals are also highly likely to be threatened with extinction.
-What to camade the study even more urgent was scientists’ ability lculate what state the corals were in before 1998, when a significant rise in sea-surface temperatures was linked with a worldwide outbreak of coral “bleaching”, when corals as far apart as the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean lost their colour because of heat stress.
-Scientists found that only 13 species of reef-building corals before 1998 would have fallen into the three most-endangered categories. This means there has been an almost 20-fold increase in the threat to corals in a decade.
-They cited rising sea temperatures, caused by global warming, pollution from such human activities as sewage and agricultural run-off, and over-fishing as the biggest threats. But they warn that all of these may be eclipsed by the threat of rising ocean acidity caused by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which could eventually dissolve the calcium carbonate skeletons of reef-building corals.
-When corals die off, so do the other plants and animals that depend on coral reefs for food and shelter, and this can lead to the collapse of entire ecosystems. This is one of the most alarming findings in terms of marine life.
-The threat of the extinction of corals could match the mass extinction that wiped out almost half of the corals 65 million years ago, along with the dinosaurs, in a geological event known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary.
- The scientists said corals are now rated second only to amphibians as the most threatened group of animals on Earth. The proportion of corals threatened with extinction has increased dramatically in recent decades and exceeds most terrestrial groups.
-If the sea-surface temperatures continue to rise, causing more frequent episodes of coral bleaching, it will be increasingly difficult for corals to survive further environmental insults.
-These results show that as a group, reef-building corals are more at risk of extinction than all terrestrial groups, apart from amphibians, and are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
-The loss of corals will have profound implications for millions of people who depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods.
-We either reduce CO2 emissions now or many corals will be lost forever. Improving water quality, global education and the adequate funding of local conservation practices are also essential to protect the foundation of beautiful and valuable coral reef ecosystems.
source: yahoo.com
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Bits and pieces of information about Corals
-Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on Earth.
-Coral reefs are the largest living structure on the planet.
-Although coral reefs cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, they are home to 25% of all marine fish species.
-500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods.
-Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches.
-Without the existence of coral reefs, parts of Florida would be under water.
-Coral reefs have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers.
-Corals' porous limestone skeletons have been used for human bone grafts.
-It is estimated that coral reefs provide $375 billion per year around the world in goods and services.
-If the present rate of destruction continues, 70% of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050.
source : http://www.nature.org/joinanddonate/rescuereef/explore/facts.html
-Coral reefs are the largest living structure on the planet.
-Although coral reefs cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, they are home to 25% of all marine fish species.
-500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods.
-Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches.
-Without the existence of coral reefs, parts of Florida would be under water.
-Coral reefs have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers.
-Corals' porous limestone skeletons have been used for human bone grafts.
-It is estimated that coral reefs provide $375 billion per year around the world in goods and services.
-If the present rate of destruction continues, 70% of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050.
source : http://www.nature.org/joinanddonate/rescuereef/explore/facts.html
What are Corals Reefs anyway??
What are Corals Reefs?
-Coral reefs are actually aragonite which are carbonate mineral produced by living organisms, in marine waters with little or no nutrients in the water.
What if there are high nutrition levels in the marine water?
-High nutrient levels such as those found in runoff from agricultural areas can harm the reef by encouraging the growth of algae, thus contributing to crowding.
Accumulation of Skeletal Materials
-In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate.
-The accumulation of skeletal material are broken and piled up by wave action and bioeroders produces a massive calcareous formation that supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life.
What are bioeroders?
-Bioeroders are erosions caused by hard ocean materials by living organisms by a number of mechanisms which can be caused by mollusks, polychaete worms, phoronids, sponges, crustaceans, echinoids, and fishes.
-It can occur on coastlines, on coral reefs, and on ships.
-Mechanisms of bioerosion include biotic boring, drilling, rasping, and scraping.
Where are corals specifically found.
-Corals are found both in temperate and tropical waters. Corals inhabit a wide range of habitats and regions.
-Shallow-water reefs are formed only in a zone extending at most from 30°N to 30°S of the equator.
-Tropical corals do not grow at depths of over 30 m (100 ft) and temperature has less of an affect on distribution of tropical corals but it is usually or generally accepted that they do not exist in water below 18 degrees celcius.
-Deep water corals can exist at greater depths and colder temperatures.
-Some of the solitary hard coral species are found in temperate and even in polar waters and live occur as far as 6000 meters below the surface of the water.
Coral reefs can take a variety of forms, defined in following:
-Fringing reef– a reef that is directly attached to a shore or borders it with an intervening shallow channel or lagoon.
-Barrier reef – a reef separated from a mainland or island shore by a deep lagoon.
-Patch reef – an isolated, often circular reef, usually within a lagoon or embayment.
-Apron reef – a short reef resembling a fringing reef, but more sloped; extending out and downward from a point or peninsular shore.
-Bank reef – a linear or semi-circular in outline, larger than a patch reef.
-Ribbon reef – a long, narrow, somewhat winding reef, usually associated with an atoll lagoon.
-Atoll reef – a more or less circular or continuous barrier reef extending all the way around a lagoon without a central island
-Table reef – an isolated reef, approaching an atoll type, but without a lagoon.
These are what some people thinks:
How does the coral reefs benefit us?
-They are part of a food chain involving the fishes and us, if they are wiped out or endangered, there would be lesser or no more food for the fishes and meaning lesser for us humans.
-Despite having lesser food, there would also be lesser species of corals for us to enjoy, admire or to research on.
-What if some of the corals have medicinal affects that might cure cancer or AIDs or maybe some corals known for their medicinal affects to cure people from fever or common flu, there would be lesser medicine and loss of beneficial cure.
-Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches. And if there was no coral reefs, parts of Florida would have already be under the ocean.
-Coral Reef is habitat of some species of marine animals and if the coral reefs are totally wiped out, there would be no place for the marine animals to live, even if they were to find one, the marine animals might not be able to adapt and die, become endangered or even on a long base scale , extinct!! So please save the corals!!!
source:wikipedia.org
-Coral reefs are actually aragonite which are carbonate mineral produced by living organisms, in marine waters with little or no nutrients in the water.
What if there are high nutrition levels in the marine water?
-High nutrient levels such as those found in runoff from agricultural areas can harm the reef by encouraging the growth of algae, thus contributing to crowding.
Accumulation of Skeletal Materials
-In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate.
-The accumulation of skeletal material are broken and piled up by wave action and bioeroders produces a massive calcareous formation that supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life.
What are bioeroders?
-Bioeroders are erosions caused by hard ocean materials by living organisms by a number of mechanisms which can be caused by mollusks, polychaete worms, phoronids, sponges, crustaceans, echinoids, and fishes.
-It can occur on coastlines, on coral reefs, and on ships.
-Mechanisms of bioerosion include biotic boring, drilling, rasping, and scraping.
Where are corals specifically found.
-Corals are found both in temperate and tropical waters. Corals inhabit a wide range of habitats and regions.
-Shallow-water reefs are formed only in a zone extending at most from 30°N to 30°S of the equator.
-Tropical corals do not grow at depths of over 30 m (100 ft) and temperature has less of an affect on distribution of tropical corals but it is usually or generally accepted that they do not exist in water below 18 degrees celcius.
-Deep water corals can exist at greater depths and colder temperatures.
-Some of the solitary hard coral species are found in temperate and even in polar waters and live occur as far as 6000 meters below the surface of the water.
Coral reefs can take a variety of forms, defined in following:
-Fringing reef– a reef that is directly attached to a shore or borders it with an intervening shallow channel or lagoon.
-Barrier reef – a reef separated from a mainland or island shore by a deep lagoon.
-Patch reef – an isolated, often circular reef, usually within a lagoon or embayment.
-Apron reef – a short reef resembling a fringing reef, but more sloped; extending out and downward from a point or peninsular shore.
-Bank reef – a linear or semi-circular in outline, larger than a patch reef.
-Ribbon reef – a long, narrow, somewhat winding reef, usually associated with an atoll lagoon.
-Atoll reef – a more or less circular or continuous barrier reef extending all the way around a lagoon without a central island
-Table reef – an isolated reef, approaching an atoll type, but without a lagoon.
These are what some people thinks:
How does the coral reefs benefit us?
-They are part of a food chain involving the fishes and us, if they are wiped out or endangered, there would be lesser or no more food for the fishes and meaning lesser for us humans.
-Despite having lesser food, there would also be lesser species of corals for us to enjoy, admire or to research on.
-What if some of the corals have medicinal affects that might cure cancer or AIDs or maybe some corals known for their medicinal affects to cure people from fever or common flu, there would be lesser medicine and loss of beneficial cure.
-Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches. And if there was no coral reefs, parts of Florida would have already be under the ocean.
-Coral Reef is habitat of some species of marine animals and if the coral reefs are totally wiped out, there would be no place for the marine animals to live, even if they were to find one, the marine animals might not be able to adapt and die, become endangered or even on a long base scale , extinct!! So please save the corals!!!
source:wikipedia.org
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Information about corals. Their doom, their properties and their lives!
Something about Corals
-Thousands of corals exist worldwide.
-When the corals are growing , reefs provide structural habitats for hundreds to thousands of different vertebrate and invertebrate species.
Conditions for corals
-The water must be warm, clear, and saline for corals to live.
-These waters are almost always nutrient-poor as well.
- Physiologically and behaviorally, corals have evolved to take advantage of this unique environment and thrive there.
Hazards to Coral Reefs
-Coral reefs face numerous hazards and threats, when human populations and coastal pressures increase, reef resources are more heavily exploited, and many coral habitats continue to decline.
The affects dealt by human populations, coastal pressures, hazards and threats to the corals.
- 10 percent of all coral reefs are degraded beyond recovery.
-20 percent are in critical condition and may die within 10 to 20 years.
-Experts predict that if current pressures are allowed to continue unabated, 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs may die completely by 2050.
-Most scientists too believe that coral reef degradation occurs in response to both natural and human-caused stresses.
Some thoughts of people:
-Since there are thousands of corals existing worldwide, why should we care?
10 percent of all coral reefs are already degraded beyond recovery, 20% of the corals is in critical condition and will just die in within 10-20 years time. Experts have also predicted that 70% of the world’s coral reefs will wiped out completely by 2050 if current pressures are allowed to continue unabated.
(Meaning almost half of the population of corals has been affected and in the future the remaining of the population of the corals might also get wiped out. )
source : google.com
-Thousands of corals exist worldwide.
-When the corals are growing , reefs provide structural habitats for hundreds to thousands of different vertebrate and invertebrate species.
Conditions for corals
-The water must be warm, clear, and saline for corals to live.
-These waters are almost always nutrient-poor as well.
- Physiologically and behaviorally, corals have evolved to take advantage of this unique environment and thrive there.
Hazards to Coral Reefs
-Coral reefs face numerous hazards and threats, when human populations and coastal pressures increase, reef resources are more heavily exploited, and many coral habitats continue to decline.
The affects dealt by human populations, coastal pressures, hazards and threats to the corals.
- 10 percent of all coral reefs are degraded beyond recovery.
-20 percent are in critical condition and may die within 10 to 20 years.
-Experts predict that if current pressures are allowed to continue unabated, 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs may die completely by 2050.
-Most scientists too believe that coral reef degradation occurs in response to both natural and human-caused stresses.
Some thoughts of people:
-Since there are thousands of corals existing worldwide, why should we care?
10 percent of all coral reefs are already degraded beyond recovery, 20% of the corals is in critical condition and will just die in within 10-20 years time. Experts have also predicted that 70% of the world’s coral reefs will wiped out completely by 2050 if current pressures are allowed to continue unabated.
(Meaning almost half of the population of corals has been affected and in the future the remaining of the population of the corals might also get wiped out. )
source : google.com
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