Climate Change Beauty Distroyer in Corals

Coral reefs are complex biological systems, they contain some of the highest concentrations of marine biodiversity. Corals have recreational, aesthetic and resource value (many examples can be found in detail in Hall's blog 27/10/12 post. They are important ecosystems, The Coral Triangle, which is found in the Pacific, has the highest proportion of species in all categories of elevated extinction risk. This risk has been amplified by climate change, but also by human activity (Carpenter et al 2008). 
            The threats that affect the islands work on a global and local scale.
Globally:

Ocean acidification (due to increased amounts of carbon dioxide): This will increase disease and fragility in calcifying organisms; reduce ocean carbonate ion concentrations; decrease growth rate of calcifying organisms; and reduce the ability for corals to build skeletons (Mumby and Steneck 2008).
Coral bleaching (due to increased sea temperatures from global warming): Increases disease in calcifying organisms; and reduce coral-based services (Mumby and Steneck 2008).
Sea level rise (due to global warming): increases flooding, coastal erosion, reduces freshwater and land area.

Locally:
Human disturbances: coastal development; sedimentation; sewage disposal; nutrient loading and eutrophication from agro-chemicals; coral mining; and over-fishing (Carpenter et al 2008).
            From humans damaging corals and not doing enough to protect them has meant a global deterioration of reef structure and their complex ecosystems (Carpenter et al 2008).

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The affects on corals through climate change have been diverse, the one I plan to follow up on in the next post will be coral bleaching and the sorts of things I want to look at are:

- The ways in which global warming is affecting corals.
- The biodiversity impacts that have and could occur with increased damage to corals.
- The scientific issues with making assumptions and measurements on what is happening to corals.
- What prevention and adaptive methods have been put in place to control the problem

See you soon!
           

Reference

Carpenter, K. et al (2008) ‘One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts’, Science, 321, 560-63

Mumby, P. Steneck, R. (2008) ' Coral reef management and conservation in light of rapidly evolving ecological paradigms', Science, 23, 10, 555-63