How Could A Disturbance Affect The Biodiversity Of The Coral Reef

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How could a disturbance affect coral reefs?

We reviewed and analysed studies that document the effects of disturbance-mediated coral loss on coral reef fishes. … Coral loss >20% typically resulted in a decline in species richness of fish communities although diversity may initially increase following small declines in coral cover from high coverage.

How does damage to the coral reef impact the biodiversity?

As C02 levels rise and acidification increases the biodiversity of coral reefs drops resulting in the elimination of key species needed for healthy reef formation.

Why are coral reefs high in biodiversity?

Coral reefs have high levels of biodiversity because of their abundant microhabitats high levels of nutrients and high levels of sunlight and warm

What threatens the health of coral reefs?

Most coral reefs occur in shallow water near shore. … Coral reefs face many threats from local sources including: Physical damage or destruction from coastal development dredging quarrying destructive fishing practices and gear boat anchors and groundings and recreational misuse (touching or removing corals).

What problems are coral reefs facing?

Coral reefs are dying around the world. Damaging activities include coral mining pollution (organic and non-organic) overfishing blast fishing the digging of canals and access into islands and bays. Other dangers include disease destructive fishing practices and warming oceans.

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How does coral harvesting threaten coral reefs?

HOW DO CORAL MINING AND INDISCRIMINATE HARVESTING AFFECT CORAL REEFS? impacts such as sand erosion land retreat and sedimentation. These can all greatly affect coastal towns villages and the tourism industry because the coral protects coastlines and builds beaches.

How does human disturbance affect ecosystems?

Waterbodies suffering from excessive levels of human disturbance are likely to have reduced quality habitat for fish wildlife and macroinvertebrates suffer from water quality problems such as excess sediments and nutrients litter and chemical contamination and are more likely to be unsuitable for recreational …

What is coral reef destruction?

Coral reef destruction is defined as the degradation (and potential mass death) of the ocean’s corals. … Due to a variety of local and global factors which can be either independent or interacting more and more of the world’s reefs are dying.

What is the major cause of loss of biodiversity?

Biodiversity loss is caused by five primary drivers: habitat loss invasive species overexploitation (extreme hunting and fishing pressure) pollution climate change associated with global warming. In each case human beings and their activities play direct roles.

How does ocean temperature affect coral reef health and biodiversity?

Climate change dramatically affects coral reef ecosystems

Climate change leads to: A warming ocean: causes thermal stress that contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease. Sea level rise: may lead to increases in sedimentation for reefs located near land-based sources of sediment.

What makes an ecosystem with high biodiversity low biodiversity?

When an ecosystem has high biodiversity it is always more stable than an ecosystem that has low biodiversity. … Low biodiversity is when there are a few prominent species and a low number of other species within the habitat. High biodiversity is a habitat or ecosystem that has a high number of different species.

What are the biggest threats to coral reefs locally briefly explain?

Pollution overfishing destructive fishing practices using dynamite or cyanide collecting live corals for the aquarium market mining coral for building materials and a warming climate are some of the many ways that people damage reefs all around the world every day.

What coral reefs are the most threatened?

Key Findings. Coral reefs of Southeast Asia the most species-rich on earth are the most threatened of any region. More than 80 percent are at risk primarily from coastal development and fishing- related pressures.

What are the two major threats to the ocean?

Here are five of the biggest challenges our oceans face and what we can do to solve them.
  1. Climate change. Climate change arguably presents the greatest threat to ocean health. …
  2. Plastic pollution. …
  3. Sustainable seafood. …
  4. Marine protected areas. …
  5. Fisheries subsidies.

How many coral reefs are threatened?

Over 65% of the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and the Middle East are under stress by local threats. Nearly 50% of coral reefs in the Pacific are threatened.

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How can we reduce the threats to coral reefs?

Every Day
  1. Recycle and dispose of trash properly. Marine debris can be harmful to coral reefs. …
  2. Minimize use of fertilizers. …
  3. Use environmentally-friendly modes of transportation. …
  4. Reduce stormwater runoff. …
  5. Save energy at home and at work. …
  6. Be conscious when buying aquarium fish. …
  7. Spread the word!

What are threats to the Great Barrier reef?

The growing combination of rising water temperatures poorer water quality from sediment run-off and pollution as well as more severe cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks are just some of the threats creating a perfect storm for our reef and the iconic animals that depend on it.

What is the cause and effect of coral reef degradation?

The most important causes for coral reef degradation are coastal development and excessive exploitation of its resources. … Ocean acidification (caused by increased amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere) have adverse effects on the growth rates of corals by making it harder for them to build and maintain a stable skeleton.

What will happen if coral reefs are destroyed?

Coral reefs provide protection against flooding and the erosion of coastlines. With them gone there will be rapid erosion of coastlines and many small island countries might even vanish from the world map.

What are three major disturbances that can affect an ecosystem?

A disturbance can also occur over a long period of time and can impact the biodiversity within an ecosystem. Major ecological disturbances may include fires flooding storms insect outbreaks and trampling.

What happens to an ecosystem following a disturbance?

Whenever an ecosystem is affected by a substantial disturbance event individuals and even entire species may be weakened or killed off. Other ecological damages can also occur such as changes in hydrologic processes or soil contamination.

What is an example of a human caused disturbance to an ecosystem?

Ecosystems are also affected by human disturbances which are caused by people. Chemical pollution and urbanization are examples of human disturbances that force change upon an ecosystem. Other examples include deforestation mining and light or noise pollution.

Why is coral reef degradation bad?

The consequences of coral bleaching and reef degradation include negative impacts to species composition and marine system health. … Changes in coral communities also affect the species that depend on them such as the fish and invertebrates that rely on live coral for food shelter or recruitment habitat.

What factors affect biodiversity?

Important direct drivers affecting biodiversity are habitat change climate change invasive species overexploitation and pollution (CF4 C3 C4. 3 S7).

What is the problem with loss of biodiversity?

Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet social needs. Indirectly changes in ecosystem services affect livelihoods income local migration and on occasion may even cause or exacerbate political conflict.

What is the biggest threat to the loss of biodiversity essay?

Habitat Fragmentation

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Habitat loss from exploitation of resources agricultural conversion and urbanization is the largest factor contributing to the loss of biodiversity. The consequent fragmentation of habitat results in small isolated patches of land that cannot maintain populations of species into the future.

How is heat stress affecting the Great Barrier Reef?

When corals suffer heat stress they expel the microscopic algae that live inside their tissues revealing their white skeletons. … Already marine heatwaves have triggered three mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in just five years reducing shallow water coral reefs by as much as 50%.

How do corals react when water temperatures are too high?

When water is too warm corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching.

How does climate change affect biodiversity of marine ecosystems?

Climate change due to human activity has a direct impact on marine species. It alters their abundance diversity and distribution. Their feeding development and breeding as well as the relationships between species are affected. Rising temperatures lead to different behaviour patterns according to species.

What are the possible factors that causes decline in the biodiversity in an ecosystem?

CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS
  • Climate change.
  • Pollution.
  • Destruction of habitats.
  • Invasive alien species.
  • Overexploitation of the natural environment.
  • Extinction of species.
  • Threat to human beings.
  • Proliferation of pests.

What are the threats to biodiversity?

What are the main threats to biodiversity?
  • Changes to how we use the land and waters. Both our lands and our seas contain many different ecosystems and these are affected by business actions. …
  • Overexploitation and unsustainable use. …
  • Climate change. …
  • Increased pollution. …
  • Invasive species.

What do you think are the threats to the rainforest and marine biodiversity?

Desertification and deforestation are the main causes of biodiversity loss. Both processes are decisively influenced by the extension of agriculture. The direct cost of deforestation is reflected in the loss of valuable plants and animal species.

How do you think ocean acidification will affect the coral reef?

Scientists Pinpoint How Ocean Acidification Weakens Coral Skeletons. The rising acidity of the oceans threatens coral reefs by making it harder for corals to build their skeletons. … Corals grow their skeletons upward toward sunlight and also thicken them to reinforce them.

Why are the coral reefs dying?

And they are dying. Coral reefs are under relentless stress from myriad global and local issues including climate change declining water quality overfishing pollution and unsustainable coastal development.

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