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By 2050, nearly all of the world's coral reefs will be in danger. The consequences for countries that depend on reefs for food, such as the Philippines or Haiti, will be severe. 95% of the reefs in south-east Asia are on the danger list and are in immediate danger. Even reefs in Australia, where they are protected, will be in the danger zones. Jane Lubchenco, who leads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the scenario as a "perfect storm" of local and global threats. She also warned that "It will take a Herculean effort to reverse the current trajectory and leave a healthy ecosystem to our grandchildren." One of the main dangers to the coral reefs is overfishing. This is very severe in places that use extreme methods of fishing such as explosives to get the fish out. This could be devastating to the places that depend a lot on coral for tourism and food. Other threats include pollution and for the last 13 years, scientists have been watching corals and say that climate change has posed a growing threat. These corals will eventually die because the warmer waters will kill the tiny creatures that feed the reefs and give them their color. Also, because of the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the air, ocean acidification will make it hard for the coral to harden and form reefs. According to current weather predictions, half of the world's reefs will experience coral bleaching by 2030 and 95% by 2050. I found this article interesting because I was wondering what was mainly causing the corals to die. I also have always wanted to go on a vacation to some exotic coral reefs so I was curious when I should go. What will countries that depend on corals for food will do if they cannot fish there as much? What will countries that depend on the tourism do when their corals are either gone or do not look as good anymore.
Citations
Goldenberg, Suzanne. "Coral Reefs Report Warns of Mass Loss Threat."
Environmental Research Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
<http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/45291>.
Environmental Research Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
<http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/45291>.
http://www.phoenixislands.org/1_images/1_pages/bleached_coral.jpg
Very good! I fully understood the gist of your post. Coral reefs are an extremely interesting topic as many water explorations arise from these habitats. The fact that these reefs are dying is devastating as many sea creatures will die with it too. One question that I have is how can we save these coral reefs. Saving these habitats will be important. Overall great content and excellent structure throughout.
ReplyDeleteI was interested about the dying population of coral reefs. The way people fished that affected the coral reefs, such a using explosives, surprised me. Also, using explosives are not needed and harm the reefs. People should try to prevent the loss of coral reefs in any possible way. This way, fish can survive more with a higher amount of coral reefs.
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