Archive for the ‘Coral Reefs’ Category
When we think about the ocean, the marine life, and the coral reefs, we don’t think about the impact these have on our lives. We depend on the water and the marine life that the ocean produces to keep ourselves alive. But what if it all disappeared? How would we be affected if there were no more coral reefs?
We can’t fail to think about what would happen to our environment, especially in the air, if this happened. The carbon dioxide in the water will somehow find a way of getting into the atmosphere and if you think of the amount of carbon dioxide that we ourselves produce, you will just pray that no more is added into our atmosphere.
The next thing that would happen is that global warming will proceed at a faster rate than before. You know what follows after this: Melting of polar ice caps and destruction of habitats for animals which live in cold regions. There will be an increase in the level of water in the oceans and thus we should worry about floods destroying our property and maybe even lives. The very things that would have somehow eased the impact of the floods are gone too and thus there is nothing more to do than run away from our homes. Global warming will also increase the temperatures both in the air and in the oceans though it happens at a much slower rate in the seas and oceans. This will keep on making the conditions unfavorable for coral reefs since they thrive well in cool waters.
No one would feel the pinch more than the scientists. They still haven’t uncovered all the secrets hidden in the oceans and so far what they have found has kept them interested more and more. They are particularly interested in the ocean because it is sort of a living laboratory to them. Medicines have been manufactured from some of the things that are found in the oceans. Coral reefs themselves are among the things that scientists find important to them in the field of medicine. When you lose a bone and you wish to get a “replacement”, the solution lies in the skeletons obtained from coral reefs because of their richness in calcium and you can bet you will never find someone to give you their bone no matter what. We still say that a whale is the biggest mammal on earth but we really aren’t sure about that because the percentage of our ocean that has been explored is still so little! Without the coral reefs and other primary producers, we might never know the answer.
Your eyes are now open to some of the possible things that might happen if coral reefs were gone. Back to reality now, scientists are scared about their disappearance and indeed they are disappearing. The water in the ocean keeps on getting warmer due to global warming and the horror might just come true. You can’t give an excuse like “I’m no one, there’s nothing I can do” because there is something that you can do no matter how far you are from an ocean. By reducing global warming, you are doing something noble.
From some of the biggest animals that we have here on earth to the tinniest organisms that we know of, which one will you decide to eradicate if given the chance? If you choose the big animals, then you should know that you are on the right track. Coral reefs fit in that category we call “primary producers” and without them we are as good as gone since our lives are held in one long chain so that if somewhere along the chain there is a missing link, everything is as good as gone.
Primary producers are those tiny organisms (especially those found in the seas and oceans) that make it their obligation to ensure that marine life will not someday disappear without warning. Without them, even the biggest animals in the oceans wouldn’t survive because they depend on these small organisms and it so happens that coral reefs are some of the primary producers. So, if you put it in another way, it would sound like this: “Kill them and get killed too”.
Due to our selfish nature as human beings, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that without us, there is no need for oceans and marine life and coral reefs that is why we must relate coral reefs to our very own pockets and to our survival too. Coral reefs are a tourism attraction and they earn any country some good amount of foreign income. This would be an alternative advantage if their biological importance wasn’t that important to you. While they may help your pocket feel a little heavier, they are also important in helping you get out of a hospital bed. You guessed it right! Coral reefs are used for medical research and so far a major breakthrough in the treatment of HIV infections can be linked back to coral reefs.
Pharmaceutical companies also found it useful because they may be used to manufacture medicines that can take care of cancer and other diseases. That is still not enough! The skeletons from coral reefs are used as bone substitutes in reconstructive bone surgery and you can be pretty sure that no human being can be willing to give you their bone for your sake. Scientists aren’t willing to stop at that and are still looking for more from them.
After all that, now you have a brief idea of why coral reefs are an important part of our lives. From filling our pockets (you don’t always see it) to sustaining marine life they still don’t know what their importance and continue living without receiving much credit. Your life is also entangled somewhere in them and thus you need to be an eco boy or eco girl to ensure that more people know of their importance too. It’s true that you may not see the need now but there is a time we all will but hopefully it won’t be too late.
Barrier reefs are completely separated from the mainland by act of a body of water. These reefs are not quite as common as fringing reefs, but tend to be much livelier. Because they are separate from the shore and sometimes quite a ways out to sea, they don’t see as much human activity. As such, more animals tend to call these reefs home.
The final principle type of reef is an atoll reef. These reefs are continuous, and extend entirely around a lagoon or similar body of water. They do not have a central island. These are the rarest of the three main reef types, as the chances of coral managing to connect and become continuous is rare. Because these are rare, many of them were recently declared national monuments by ex-president George W. Bush, placing them under protection and limited human interaction.
Although these reefs are formed by coral, they are one of the many species of life that call them home. A near countless number of species of fish dwell in and around this massive structures, because they are easy to lose predators in. Coral reefs are often riddled with holes, creating the perfect environment for various types of eels, who prey on unsuspecting fish. Reefs are often dotted with sea stars and spiny sea urchins, which are able to blend in with the colorful coral. Various types of crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimp, and lobster, also call these reefs home because of the various hiding places and steady supply of food. Very few mammals utilize these reefs as a home. Often, they are simply too large. They do, however, use it as a hunting ground, as reefs are never short on fish or other sources of food. A reef is also never short on circling birds. Again, because of the almost unlimited supply of fish, hungry birds are never perched far from a reef.
Located in the Coral Sea, The Great Barrier Reef is the single largest structure created by living organisms. It is composed of nearly 3,000 individual reefs, the majority of which are fringing reefs, and stretches over 130,000 miles. This massive structure can actually be clearly seen on a clear day from outer space.
The Great Barrier Reef harbors a staggering amount of different species, many of whom have made it on to the endangered species list. Many sea turtles, whose numbers are diminishing quickly, are found nowhere but within this structure. Even certain species of whales have been spotted around The Great Barrier Reef. Because of this, a vast majority of this reef is now under strict protection to prevent any further damage.
Even with that protection in place, though, much damage has been done – both natural and unnatural. Oil spills have killed of various types of coral and life around coral reefs. Before protection was in place, many species of sea life were fished out of reefs around the world, and whales were hunted there. A sea star known as the Crown-of-Thorns feeds upon and kills coral, and recent outbreaks of these star fish have completely devastated coral reefs around the world. Many steps have been taken to prevent further damage from being done, but what has been done cannot be taken back. We must be certain to protect what is left.