Sci/256 Natural Resources

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Natural Resources and Energy Paper SCI/256 February 13, 2012 Frederick Ross Natural Resources and Energy Paper The coral reef ecosystem is very complex yet beautiful. The coral reefs beauty and variety of sea life is the main cause of attractions for many visitors. “Coral reefs, found predominantly between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, provide an environment in which one-third of all marine fish species and many thousands of other species are found, and from which 6 million tons of fish are caught annually” (Crabbe, 2009, p. 1). A coral reef is a mixture of hard and soft coral. Much of the coral reef is dependent on one another and its growth potential depends on many external factors. In order for coral reefs to thrive they…show more content…
The poisons will kill fish and the reef in which the fish live because there is no precise way to deliver it. The fishermen will dump the poison on the water in a likely spot and catch what floats up. The problem with poison is that it does not choose what it kills, so it kills reefs and poisons the area for new generations, then the fishermen go on to another area to repeat the destruction. [ (Coral Reef Destruction and Coversation) ] 2. Red is the endangered areas In image 2, the most endangered reefs are in areas that are considered “Third World”, where populations have limited access to education. The people here are concerned mostly with putting food on the table now, later can wait for another day. There is a problem with reef systems today that directly comes from people who probably did not know that they were causing it. Runoff from sewers, especially untreated sewage kills corals by: * Suffocating corals and zooxantheallae by covering them with sludge and cutting off…show more content…
These emissions can become acid rain and if it can damage a tree, it can and does damage coral. According to the Coral Reef Alliance; the world’s oceans have had “approximately 525 billion tons of carbon dioxide” dumped by human activity within their waters. [ (Coral Reef Alliance, 2012) ]. The site also goes on to state that the destruction of Mangroves,(which have been harvested for lumber) and the loss filtering saltwater swamps due to farming have caused quite a bit of stress on coral reefs. Then there are the odd ways we humans go about “enjoying the ocean”. Boaters and water sports that need a motor and anchors disturb the reefs. The outboard motors carve up reefs, and when a boat hull scrapes against a reef due to negligence on behalf of the boats navigator, the affected area dies off. Boat anchors from fishing vessels drag along the bottom tearing up corals. Fishing nets can rip corals from their anchor points and kill the more delicate softer
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