coral reef Resources | coral reef, coral reefs

Coral reefs (also known as Sea Gardens) are bariers consisting of coral skeletons built upon coral skeletons. They grow in tropical seas in the photic zone, where there is mild wave action, not so strong it tears the reef apart yet strong enough to stir the water and deliver sufficient food and oxygen. Coral reefs also need nutrient-poor, clear, warm, shallow water to grow. The coral skeletons while alive house coral polyps.

Coral reef biology

The building blocks of coral reefs are the "skeletons" of generations of reef-building algae, corals, and other organisms that are composed of calcium carbonate. For example, as a coral head grows, it lays down a skeletal structure encasing each new polyp. Waves, grazing fishes (such as parrotfish), sea urchins, sponges, and other forces and organisms break down the coral skeletons into fragments that settle into spaces in the reef structure. Many other organisms living in the reef community contribute their skeletal calcium carbonate in the same manner. Coralline algae are actually the main contributors to the structure, at least in those parts of the reef subjected to the greatest forces by waves (such as the reef front facing the open ocean). These algae contribute to reef-building by depositing limestone in sheets over the surface of the reef and thereby contributing to the structural integrity of the reef. Many coralline algae species form nodules, or develop on the surface of fragments, enlarging these. The crust-forming species protect coral reefs by withstanding and mitigating wave pressures that would destroy most corals. This crust often forms a protective ridge on the outer edge of a reef (reef crest or reef margin), particularly in the Pacific (Castro and Huber, 2000; Nybakken, 1997).

Reef-building or hermatypic corals are only found in the photic zone (above 50m depth), the depth to which sufficient sunlight penetrates the water for photosynthesis to occur. The coral polyps do not photosynthesize, but have a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae; these algal cells within the tissues of the coral polyps carry out photosynthesis and produce excess organic nutrients that are then used by the coral polyps. Because of this relationship, coral reefs grow much faster in clear water, which admits more sunlight. Indeed, the relationship is responsible for coral reefs in the sense that without their symbionts, coral growth would be too slow for the corals to form impressive reef structures.

Although corals are found growing in most areas of a healthy coral reef, the elevation of the reef flat relative to sea level (and considering tidal range) imposes significant constraints on coral growth. In general, only a small number of coral species can thrive on the reef flat, and these cannot grow above a certain height because the polyps can withstand only limited exposure to the air at low tide. Of course some reef flats carry a meter or so of water over the surface, and then coral growth can be prolific. It is the upward growth of coralline algae on the outer part of the reef flat that ultimately results in an overall rise in the surface elevation of a reef, which typically slopes gently downward in towards the shore or lagoon and very steeply downward in the seaward direction. Prolific growth of these algae is a response to water motion bringing in inorganic nutrients and removing waste products. The damaging effects of exposure at low tide on the algae is ameliorated somewhat by constantly breaking waves on the reef edge. Nonetheless, it is the case that mature reefs are in equilibrium with both sea level and wave regime with respect to their elevation, and excess production of limestone moves away from the margin to expand the reef laterally and fill in low areas.

The more prolific growths of corals are to be found in water deeper than where the bottom is exposed at low tides: on the frontal reef slope (forereef), in lagoons, and along reef channels that bisect the flat. Under conditions of clear, moving seawater, corals provide the bulk of the skeletal material comprising the reef and the structural complexity that results in a high diversity of reef associated fishes and invertebrates.

Coral reef formations

World-wide distribution of reefs

Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometers, with the Indo-Pacific region (including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) accounting for 91.9 percent of the total. Southeast Asia accounts for 32.3 percent of that figure, while the Pacific including Australia accounts for 40.8 percent. Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs only account for 7.6 percent of the world total (Spalding et al., 2001).

Coral reefs are either restricted or absent from along the west coast of the Americas, as well as the west coast of Africa. This is due primarily to upwelling and strong cold coastal currents that reduce water temperatures in these areas (Nybakken, 1997). Corals are also restricted from off the coastline of South Asia from Pakistan to Bangladesh (Spalding et al., 2001). They are also restricted along the coast around north-eastern South America and Bangladesh due to the release of vast quantities of freshwater from the Amazon and Ganges Rivers respectively.

Ecology and biodiversity

Coral reefs support an extraordinary amount of biodiversity; although they are located in nutrient-poor tropical waters. The process of nutrient cycling between corals, zooxanthellae, and other reef organisms provides an explanation for why coral reefs flourish in these waters: recycling ensures that fewer nutrients are needed overall to support the community.

Cyanobacteria also provide soluble nitrates for the coral reef through the process of nitrogen fixation. Corals absorb nutrients, including inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, directly from the water, and they feed upon zooplankton that are carried past the polyps by water motion (Castro and Huber, 2000). Thus, primary productivity on a coral reef is very high. Producers in coral reef communities include the symbiotic zooxanthellae, coralline algae, and various seaweeds, especially small types called turf algae, although scientists disagree about the importance of these particular organisms (Castro and Huber, 2000).

Coral reefs are home to a variety of tropical or reef fishes, such as the colorful parrotfishes, angelfishes, damselfishes and butterflyfishes. Other fish groups found on coral reefs include groupers, snappers, grunts and wrasses. Over 4,000 species of fishes inhabit coral reefs (Spalding et al., 2001).

Reefs are also home to a large variety of other organisms, including sponges, Cnidarians (which includes some types of corals and jellyfish), worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, spiny lobsters and crabs), mollusks (including cephalopods), echinoderms (including starfish, sea stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and sea snakes. Aside from humans, mammals are rare on coral reefs, with visiting cetaceans such as dolphins being the main group. A few of these varied species feed directly on corals, while others graze on algae on the reef and participate in complex food webs (Castro and Huber, 2000; Spalding et al., 2001).

A number of invertebrates, collectively called cryptofauna, inhabit the coral rock substrate itself, either boring into the limestone surface or living in pre-existing voids and crevices. Those animals boring into the rock include sponges, bivalve mollusks, and Sipunculans. Those settling on the reef include many other species, particularly crustaceans and Polychaete worms (Nybakken, 1997).

Due to their vast biodiversity, many governments world-wide take measures to protect their coral reefs. In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and is the subject of many plans and pieces of legislation, including a Biodiversity Action Plan.

Threats to reefs

Humans continue to represent the single greatest threat to coral reefs living in Earth's oceans. In particular, pollution and over-fishing are the most serious threats to these ecosystems. Physical destruction of reefs due to boat and shipping traffic is also a problem. The live food fish trade has been implicated as a driver of decline due to the use of cyanide and other chemicals in the capture of small fishes. Finally, above normal water temperatures, due to climate phenomena such as El Niño and global warming, can cause coral bleaching. According to The Nature Conservancy, if destruction increases at the current rate, 70% of the world’s coral reefs will have disappeared within 50 years. This loss would be an economic disaster for peoples living in the tropics. Hughes, et al, (2003), writes that "with increased human population and improved storage and transport systems, the scale of human impacts on reefs has grown exponentially. For example, markets for fishes and other natural resources have become global, supplying demand for reef resources far removed from their tropical sources".

Currently researchers are working to determine the degree various factors impact the reef systems. The list of factors is long but includes the oceans acting as a carbon dioxide sink, changes in Earth's atmosphere, ultraviolet light, ocean acidification, biological virus, impacts of dust storms carrying agents to far flung reef systems, various pollutants and others... Reefs are threatened well beyond coastal areas and so the problem is broader than factors from land development and pollution though those are too causing considerable damage.

Land development and pollution

Extensive and poorly managed land development can threaten the survival of coral reefs. Within the last 20 years, once prolific mangrove forests, which absorb massive amounts of nutrients and sediment from runoff caused by farming and construction of roads, buildings, ports, channels, and harbors, are being destroyed. Nutrient-rich water causes fleshy algae and phytoplankton to thrive in coastal areas in suffocating amounts known as algal blooms. Coral reefs are biological assemblages adapted to waters with low nutrient content, and the addition of nutrients favors species that disrupt the balance of the reef communities. Both the loss of wetlands and the algal bloom events are considered to be significant factors affecting water quality on reefs. ^[1]

Poor water quality has also been shown to encourage the spread of infectious diseases among corals. ^[2]

Copper, a common industrial pollutant, has been shown to interfere with the life history and development of coral polyps. ^[3]

A large area of the Gulf of Mexico is hypoxic during the year, killing countless marine life and threatening the Flower Gardens reef system.

Live reef fish trade

Due to the increased demand for live reef fish in North America and Europe, the use of cyanide fishing has increased in the Indo-Pacific region. 85% of the world’s aquarium fish are caught in this region and almost all of them are caught using cyanide. ^{citation needed]} Cyanide is used to stun the fish, in order to easily capture them for trade. It is detrimental to the organs of fish, and there is a 90% mortality rate of cyanide-captured fish. ^{citation needed]} Cyanide is also very destructive to the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, as it kills corals and other reef invertebrates. (Barber and Pratt, 1-2) Corals are also harmed by the poor harvesting practices of the live fish trade. Fishermen sometimes pound on the reef with crowbars and rocks to scare fish into nets or pry corals apart to retrieve stunned fish.

A major catalyst of cyanide fishing is poverty within fishing communities. In areas like the Philippines where cyanide is regularly used to catch live aquarium fish, the percentage of the population below the poverty line is 40%[3]. In such developing countries, a fisherman might resort to such unethical practices in order to prevent his or her family from starving.

Dynamite fishing is another extremely destructive method that fishermen use to harvest small fish. The procedure of dynamite fishing starts with a bottle that is filled with explosives made of potassium nitrate. Once the dynamite goes off the explosion brings about an underwater shockwave causing the swim bladders of fish to burst making them float to the top. A second blast is often set off after the first to kill any larger predators that are attracted to the initial kill of the smaller fish. This method of fishing does not only kill small fish but also claims the lives of many reef animals that are not edible or wanted, such as the coral itself. Areas that used to be full of coral now are like desert sand, no sign of coral or any other reef animals that used to inhabit them.

Coral bleaching

During the 1998 and 2004 El Niño weather phenomena, in which sea surface temperatures rose well above normal, many tropical coral reefs were bleached or killed. Some recovery has been noted in more remote locations, but global warming could negate some of this recovery in the future. Toxins in the tissue are produced when the water temperatures climb, causing coral bleaching. ^{citation needed]}

However, Ben McNeil of the University of New South Wales hypothesises that reefs are not in decline, and may exceed pre-industrial levels by as much as 35 percent by 2100, especially because of the positive influence of global warming. However, growth in some reefs due to global warming is expected to be offset by declines in other reefs, due to the comfortable temperature range for a coral being close to the temperature at which they bleach.^{citation needed]}

Some suggest that while reefs may die in certain areas, other areas will become habitable for corals, and form coral reefs. ^[4] Others yet point to data that suggests that the global temperature has never changed by more than a degree for a very long time. (See Global warming controversy).

Destruction worldwide

Southeast Asian coral reefs are at risk from damaging fishing practices (such as cyanide and blast fishing), overfishing, sedimentation, pollution and bleaching. A variety of activities, including education, regulation, and the establishment of marine protected areas are underway to protect these reefs. Indonesia, for example has nearly 33,000 square miles of coral reefs. Its waters are home to a third of the world’s total corals and a quarter of its fish species. Indonesia's coral reefs are located in the heart of the Coral Triangle and have been victim to destructive fishing, unregulated tourism, and bleaching due to climatic changes. Data from 414 reef monitoring stations throughout Indonesia in 2000 found that only 6 percent of Indonesia’s coral reefs are in excellent condition, while 24 percent are in good condition, and approximately 70 percent are in poor to fair condition (2003 The Johns Hopkins University).

General estimates show approximately 10% of the coral reefs around the world are already dead. ^[5]^[6]Problems range from environmental effects of fishing techniques, described above, to Ocean acidification. ^[7] Coral bleaching is another manifestation of the problem and is showing up in reefs across the planet.

Protection and restoration of reefs

It is estimated that about 60% of the world’s reefs are at risk due to destructive, human-related activities. The threat to the health of reefs is particularly strong in Southeast Asia, where an enormous 80% of reefs are considered endangered.

Marine Protected Areas

One method of coastal reef management that has become increasingly prominent is the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs have been introduced in Southeast Asia and elsewhere around the world to attempt to promote responsible fishery management and habitat protection. Much like the designation of national parks and wild life refuges, potentially damaging extraction activities are prohibited. The objectives of MPAs are both social and biological, including restoration of coral reefs, aesthetic maintenance, increased and protected biodiversity, and economic benefits. Conflicts surrounding MPAs involve lack of participation, clashing views and perceptions of effectiveness, and funding.

Indonesia currently has nine MPAs, claiming a total 41,129 square kilometers of coastal waters are to be under protection. ^{citation needed]} A study done on one of the more recently established MPAs in Indonesia showed the need for co-management when it comes to the success of managing MPAs. This collaborative approach emphasizes the cooperation and partnership between parties at the national, provincial, and local community level.

The coral reefs in the Philippines and Indonesia are disappearing rapidly due to dynamite and cyanide fishing. Between 1966 and 1986 the productivity of coral reefs in the Philippines dropped by one-third as the national population doubled (State of the Reefs). ^{citation needed]} In Indonesia as well, over eighty percent of the coral reefs are under threat (The Jakarta Post). These two locations are home to the world's most diverse range of corals. If the rate of destruction does not diminish, seventy percent of all the world's coral reefs will be gone in the next twenty-five to forty years (the Philippines). ^{citation needed]}

Organizations

Numerous organizations exist that aim to help preserve coral reef habitat. For instance, The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is an international, non-profit organization that works to bring responsibility and sustainability to the aquarium fish trade industry concerned with industry practices that bring harm to coral reefs. Such concerns include the use of cyanide to stun and collect fish, poor handling and husbandry practices, wild stock depletion, limited government regulation and management of natural resources, and lack of reliable data about the industry. A ban on collecting organisms from reefs for the aquarium industry would create a loss of income to communities, and possibly an increase in illegal trade. MAC encompasses a large network of researchers, industry operators and conservationists to ensure objective solutions that can benefit the industry and the environment. MAC supports the concept that there is a sustainable and responsible way to meet the demands of the industry by creating international standards and certification schemes to inform and educate consumers, collectors, and retailers on the importance of sustaining healthy coral reef environments.

The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) (http://www.coral.org) is a member-supported, non-profit organization, dedicated to protecting the health of coral reefs by integrating ecosystem management, sustainable tourism, and community partnerships. CORAL works with communities to identify and solve conservation challenges; changes attitudes and behavior through education and training; provides resources to strengthen conservation efforts; and creates incentives for sustainable tourism. Current project sites include Florida, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Hawaii.

CORAL's unique and comprehensive Coral Reef Sustainable Destination (CRSD) model establishes six broad indicators to measure the sustainability of the destination, along with five levels of conservation capacity that can be observed and measured. Prior to working with a site, CORAL identifies a coral destination's existing capacity to achieve objectives along a continuum of increasing sustainability. The CRSD model is then used to measurably increase the capacity of marine recreation providers, reef managers, and local communities to work collaboratively towards coral reef conservation. Upon completion of work, destinations will have the fundamental skills and capacity to implement effective and financially sustainable coral conservation startegies.

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