Coral Reef Destruction

Coral Reef Destruction

"Two-thirds of the earth's coral reefs are dying. It is estimated that 10 percent of the earth's coral reefs have already been degraded beyond recovery. A much larger percentage is now threatened. Human activities are among the major cause of reef decline." --U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)^REF

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Why should we care about coral reefs? Coral reefs are important to our future. They are:

home and nursery for almost a million fish and other species, many that we rely on for food;

some of the earth's most diverse living ecosystems;

important protection for coastal communities from storms, wave damage and erosion;

full of new and undiscovered biomedical resources that we've only just begun to explore.

"As the 'rain forests of the sea,' coral reefs provide services estimated to be worth as much as $375 billion annually, a staggering figure for an ecosystem covering less than one percent of the Earth's surface." --U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, March 2000 ^REF

Assigned outside reading

Miller, p. 53

Assigned online reading

About Coral Reefs -- World Conservation Monitoring Centre [500 words]

What is a coral?
Tropical ecosystems
Types of reefs
The most diverse marine ecosystem

Corals in Danger -- World Conservation Monitoring Centre [600 words]

Storms, predators and global climate change
Sediment, sewage, and spills -- the threat of pollution
Overharvesting -- or food for the future?
Shells on shelves
A paradise for tourists

World Map of estimated threats to coral reefs (map and explanation only) -- World Resources Institute, 1998

Threats to Reefs -- World Resources Institute, 1998 [1,200 words]

Effects of coastal development
Marine-based pollution
Overexploitation
Inland pollution and erosion

The "hobby" of consuming reef organisms [900 words]

"Recreational environmentalism..."

Questions to answer concerning coral reef destruction:

1. Explain what each of the following is, and describe their relationships: coral polyp, coral colony, and coral reef--

2. What are the three major types of coral reefs, and the distinguishing characteristics of each?

3. How would you describe the biological diversity of coral reef ecosystems? What region of the world has the greatest diversity of reef plants and animals?

4. What natural events or processes are most damaging to coral reefs?

5. How may global warming stress coral reefs?

6. What are the common causes and effects of coral bleaching?

7. Explain how each of the following actions can degrade coral reef ecosystems:

(a) siltation (or sedimentation)--

(b) pollution by sewage and agricultural fertilizers--

(c) harvesting fish using poisons and dynamite--

(d) collecting coral and shells as souvenirs--

(e) tourists visiting reefs--

(f) coastal dredging and coral mining for construction materials--

(g) spills and discharges of oil--

(h) removal of predators, such as triggerfish--

(i) overfishing of herbivorous fish--

(j) clearing vegetation from land that drains to coastal waters--

8. What two regions of the world have the largest areas of highly-threatened coral reefs? What are several major threats in each of these regions? [You may have to explore some "optional" sources of information a bit to answer the latter question!]

9. What is the financial incentive to collect organisms from coral reefs for use in marine aquariums?

10. Why should people be concerned about degradation of coral reefs?

11. Briefly, what could you do to help protect coral reef ecosystems?

Optional Resources concerning Coral Reef Destruction

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Thomas Detwyler maintains this page (tdetwyle@uwsp.edu)
Last updated 8 June 2001