BopI
Notable Member
- Sep 15, 2019
- 9,638
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please read the entire paragraph
so, basically, the oceans. now, they are suffering, not only from climate change but from pollution, oil spills, etc. salmon are unable to get to their breeding grounds due to dams blocking them. toxic chemicals gather in the bodies of whales due to the massive amounts of water and air they filter for oxygen. the vaquita, a species of porpoise that lives in Baja California, only has 10 members remaining of it’s species due to bycatch. Now, one of the ecosystems I plan to study when I grow up are coral reefs. They are one of the most important ecosystems to human civilization, providing a barrier against storm surge, being a tourist attraction, and providing food for native peoples. Economists estimate the value of coral reefs to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars due to tourism. However, they are dying off quicker than expected. A small increase in the temperature of the world may result in most of their deaths. However, to truly understand why they are important, they must be understood. Corals are in fact animals, that are somewhat related to sea anemones. They live in colonies, where they excrete limestone and create large rock formations. Most corals receive their nutrients from two sources: nutrients in the water and the algae that they have a symbiotic relationship with. The algae provides the corals with nutrients, and in return, the corals give the algae a place to live. This is why we mainly see corals near the surface of the water, where their algae partners can provide them with nutrients. There are other species of corals that have no need for the algae, and form large, cold water reefs deep underwater and in shallow fjords. Back to the corals that rely on their algae partners. If conditions get harder, like an increase in temperature or sediments from a river flowing in, corals can become stressed, and release their algae partners. Without the majority of the nutrients they rely on gone, they turn white and die, where the phrase, “bleached” comes from. Corals not only die from stress, but other factors as well. Companies that collect fish for the aquarium trade often use chemicals to stun fish to make them easier to put in a net, however, this instantly kills corals. Sediments from rivers block out the sunlight and prevents the algae from undergoing photosynthesis. Pollution not only affects the corals themselves, but also the immense amount of species that live on the reefs, ranging from octopi to hammerhead sharks. If the destruction of coral reefs can be prevented, it could cause a chain reaction that could help receive the rest of the ocean.
Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｎｏ ｉｄｅａ ｈｏｗ ｔｏ ｐｒｏｐｅｒｌｙ ｅｎｄ ｔｈｉｓ
so, basically, the oceans. now, they are suffering, not only from climate change but from pollution, oil spills, etc. salmon are unable to get to their breeding grounds due to dams blocking them. toxic chemicals gather in the bodies of whales due to the massive amounts of water and air they filter for oxygen. the vaquita, a species of porpoise that lives in Baja California, only has 10 members remaining of it’s species due to bycatch. Now, one of the ecosystems I plan to study when I grow up are coral reefs. They are one of the most important ecosystems to human civilization, providing a barrier against storm surge, being a tourist attraction, and providing food for native peoples. Economists estimate the value of coral reefs to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars due to tourism. However, they are dying off quicker than expected. A small increase in the temperature of the world may result in most of their deaths. However, to truly understand why they are important, they must be understood. Corals are in fact animals, that are somewhat related to sea anemones. They live in colonies, where they excrete limestone and create large rock formations. Most corals receive their nutrients from two sources: nutrients in the water and the algae that they have a symbiotic relationship with. The algae provides the corals with nutrients, and in return, the corals give the algae a place to live. This is why we mainly see corals near the surface of the water, where their algae partners can provide them with nutrients. There are other species of corals that have no need for the algae, and form large, cold water reefs deep underwater and in shallow fjords. Back to the corals that rely on their algae partners. If conditions get harder, like an increase in temperature or sediments from a river flowing in, corals can become stressed, and release their algae partners. Without the majority of the nutrients they rely on gone, they turn white and die, where the phrase, “bleached” comes from. Corals not only die from stress, but other factors as well. Companies that collect fish for the aquarium trade often use chemicals to stun fish to make them easier to put in a net, however, this instantly kills corals. Sediments from rivers block out the sunlight and prevents the algae from undergoing photosynthesis. Pollution not only affects the corals themselves, but also the immense amount of species that live on the reefs, ranging from octopi to hammerhead sharks. If the destruction of coral reefs can be prevented, it could cause a chain reaction that could help receive the rest of the ocean.
Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｎｏ ｉｄｅａ ｈｏｗ ｔｏ ｐｒｏｐｅｒｌｙ ｅｎｄ ｔｈｉｓ
