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Threats to the barrier reef.

Climate change-

Climate change is one of the biggest things that could do damage to the Great barrier reef. Most of this is from humans but some of it can be natural reasons as well. Firstly, Volcanoes are always pumping out gas into the atmosphere at a steady rate, this leads to the temperature getting higher and higher. One outcome of the temperature increasing would be an increased amount of weather events. This will lead to more intense cyclones which can weaken the structure of the reef. Furthermore, a result of more rainfall will send more freshwater and sediment away from the coast and onto the reef covering it.

A result of rising sea temperature will be heat stress on the reefs, this is where the coral is heated for a long period of time damaging them. Also mass coral bleaching will be increased.

Rising sea levels can impact many areas through coastal erosion, and it can make the size for storm surges a lot bigger increasing the damage that has been done.

Poor water quality-

Land based run off is the main reason for why the quality of the water is decreasing. One of the main problems are increased sediment that has come from industrial locations and onto the coral. This has the potential to have chemicals in that could do some long-term damage to the reefs. Any problems that are linked with the water quality can affect an industry that is based mainly on the reefs, for example companies that take tourists out to the reef to go scuba diving will decrease because no one will want to go if the water quality is bad.

Fishing-

Fishing industry depends solely on the quality of the fish. The quality of these fish is linked with some of the factors mentioned above. If the water quality is poor then the fish will find it harder to survive and the numbers will be likely to decrease. This means that some companies would have to shut down calling people to lose their jobs.

There you go you cunts

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Yeh god alex come on mate up your game

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Sea level changes can lead to drastic changes within coral reefs. They are commonly in shallow waters where there is plenty of sunlight for the coral to grow under. However, with sea level rise, less sunlight will have the ability to penetrate the water and get to the coral possibly leading to it being destroyed.

Wind erosion can cause erratic weather conditions, harsh winds can bring about aggressive waves that pull plants and material away from its original spot. Which may lead to the destruction of coral reefs. The increase in wind may also make the water choppy for tourists which will lead to a decline in the area as calm waters are essential to snorkeling and useful for exploration of coral reefs.

Coral can also be affected by predators, Barnacles, fish and other animals such as crabs often feed on the softer tissue within the coral. One example of a case is in 1979 when an outbreak of starfish led to 90% of the coral being destroyed in a Marine Sanctuary in Samoa.

Natural phenomena can have a large impact on the population of coral reefs. El Niño can lead to an increase in surface temperatures of the ocean along with increased salinity and a decreased sea and tide level. Which would leave the coral exposed to the elements and also maintain the possibility of drying out or causing damage to the ecosystem as other animals will be influenced by the loss of coral. The El Niño of 1997 caused massive coral bleaching and approximately up to 70% of all shallow water coral was influenced and damaged.

Sedimentation from either longshore drift or natural events such as cliff collapse can cover and smother the coral, shielding it from the sunlight that it needs to survive and grow efficiently. Destruction of protective mangrove trees is only worsening the issue of sedimentation as the natural sea defense often holds lots of sediment up in its roots and branches.

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Coral triangle

The coral triangle is an area which covers many areas including: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands. This area, like the great barrier reef, has over 600 species of coral. It also is home to 6/7 of the worlds marine turtles and homes 2000s reef species. This is the main reason why the area is so important, it has one of the most diverse amount of species in the world, without this, it would put 2600 species under threat, and cause 600 coral species to die. There are both human and physical impacts which will cause the species to die out. These include:

Human | Physical
Overfishing | Sea level rise
By catch | Predators
Short term climate change | Natural phenomena

http://www.tageo.com/index-e-as-v-04-d-m2236375.htm

http://journeytothesouthpacific.imax.com/education/map/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle

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The great barrier reef is located in Queensland, which is in Northern Eastern Australia. It is the largest living thing on this planet and visible from space. It is made from over 600 types of coral and stretches 2,300 KM covering hundreds of different islands and is home to thousands of different species of fish. Not only this, but the ecosystem is home to sharks, dolphins, turtles and starfish It became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1981. However, the great barrier reef is under enormous threat. It has lost over half its coral since 1985 and is at great threat from tourism over fishing and pollution. The great barrier reef is an important ecosystem because it provides a source of income and food for millions of people. It is an important tourism income and food source for many of the small islands who are dependent on it. In addition, it acts as a natural sea defense from natural disasters. The great barrier reef generates 1.5 billion dollars every year for the Australain economy.

http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/05human-impact/importance-of-coral-reefs.html

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Human threats:

Fishing is a major threat to coral reefs as it greatly reduces the biodiversity in the ecosystem. This occurs due to destructive fishing practices such as using dynamite to fish which will not only kill large amounts of fish but also damage the coral as well. Over fishing is another issue as this will cause a large loss in biodiversity and will greatly reduce the quantity of species within the coral reefs.

Coral Mining is another threat, this is where the coral is removed from the reef and used for many different uses such as cement, bricks for new houses and road fill. The coral is also often sold on the market as souvenirs for tourists. This has devastating effects on the ecosystem as it will reduce the biodiversity and will alter the food chain.

Recreation and tourism is a large threat to coral reefs due to the fact that when people visit these areas they pollute and litter the area which can cause many issue such as the killing of species within the reefs such as the coral itself and lower the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Other recreational activities such as those that involve directly visiting the coral reefs or driving boats around them are damaging and can destroy and kill parts of the reef this happens by people stirring up sediment, or by anchors being dropped on the reef.

Pollution is another threat to the coral reefs because things such as industrial waste, sewage, oil waste and other toxins which are dumped into the ocean and are poisoning the coral reefs and killing off the many species living within them. Some of the pollutants such as sewage are very high in nitrogen and cause the eutrophication of the water, which is where algae over populates and covers the surface of the water restricting sunlight for the plants below and therefore removing the producers from the food chain.

Climate change is one of the largest threats to coral reefs, it is also mainly due to human activity. If the climate becomes too warm then the coral won’t be able to survive as they require very specific conditions to survive in and can’t handle too much pressure or heat. The rising temperatures cause the coral to bleach and die which will reduce the amount of food for nearby fish.

sources:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_threats/

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Sea level changes can lead to drastic changes within coral reefs. They are commonly in shallow waters where there is plenty of sunlight for the coral to grow under. However, with sea level rise, less sunlight will have the ability to penetrate the water and get to the coral possibly leading to it being destroyed.

Wind erosion can cause erratic weather conditions, harsh winds can bring about aggressive waves that pull plants and material away from its original spot. Which may lead to the destruction of coral reefs. The increase in wind may also make the water choppy for tourists which will lead to a decline in the area as calm waters are essential to snorkelling and useful for exploration of coral reefs.

Coral can also be affected by predators, Barnacles, fish and other animals such as crabs often feed on the softer tissue within the coral. One example of a case is in 1979 when an outbreak of starfish lead to 90% of the coral being destroyed in a Marine Sanctuary in Samoa.

Natural phenomena  affected by predators, Barnacles, fish and other animals such as crabs often feed on the softer tissue within the coral. One example of a case is in 1979 when an outbreak of starfish lead to 90% of the coral being destroyed in a Marine Sanctuary in Samoa.

Sedimentation from either longshore drift or natural events such as cliff collapse can cover and smother the coral, shielding it from the sunlight that it needs to survive and grow efficiently. Destruction of protective mangrove trees is only worsening the issue of sedimentation as the natural sea defence often holds lots of sediment up in its roots and branches.

References:

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_threats/

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral08_naturalthreats.html

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Urgh

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List the main threats to the coral reef, and then describe if they are human or physical and why

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These are physical/ human impacts to use 

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These are physical/ human impacts to use 