The Effects of Global Warming on Coral Reefs - Research Paper Example

?(Add (Add (Add The Effects of Global Warming on Coral Reefs Coral reefs are not exempted from the severe effects of global warming. By digging into various scholarly works in the area, the study finds that being the most fragile ecosystems on earth; coral reefs are highly vulnerable to variations in temperature levels. There are three ways in which global warming affects coral reefs: through a direct increase in water temperature; through a rise in the carbon dioxide levels in water which makes water acidic; and through rising sea levels which results in inadequate sunlight for the existing coral reefs. In addition, the study points towards various indirect ways through which rising temperature leads to coral reef damage. One issue is the increasing incidence of various coral diseases and another problem is the occurrence of natural disasters like El Nino which damage coral reef habitats. Thus, the study ends with the suggestion that the ultimate way to save coral reefs would be to address the effects of global warming. Introduction Global warming is a potential environmental problem that has been adversely affecting the global climatic patterns for more than a century. Global warming can be simply referred to the process of increasing the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. By definition “global warming is an increase in temperature worldwide due to gaseous emissions known as greenhouse gases, and depletion of the upper atmospheric (30-50 kilometers) or stratospheric ozone layer” (Liu, 58). Meteorologist identified an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature by nearly 0.8o C in the beginning of the 20th century. Scientists hold that the increased concentrations of greenhouse gases caused by thoughtless human activities including combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation are the major factors leading to global warming. ‘The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report’ (AR4) (qtd. Deimling et al) forecasts that the average global surface temperature may rise from 1.1o C to 2.9o C during the 21st century under lowest emissions scenario, whereas the expected range lies between 2.4o C to 6.4o C under highest emission scenario. Studies have identified that the rising average temperature of oceans has a devastating effect on coral reefs. Coral reefs are underwater forests formed of calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs play a pivotal role in protecting coastal regions. Coral reefs contain a wide variety of fishes and plants among which most of them belong to some of the most fragile ecosystems of the planet. Studies point to the fact that even a one degree Celsius change in average sea temperature would cause dreadful effects on these underwater structures. This paper will discuss the effects of global warming on coral reefs in the context of current beliefs and researches. The paper will also give focus on the potential long term effects of global warming on the human sustainability. Finally it will propose solutions to the issue on the strength of identified causes and effects. Coral Reef Habitat Coral reefs are considered colonies of micro living animals found in less-nutrients contained marine waters. It has been identified that majority of the coral reefs are made up of stony corals and which in turn contain polyps. Most of these underwater structures were formed after the last glacial period and therefore it can be concluded that most coral reefs are not more than 10,000 years old. Coral reefs constitute the most diverse and fragile ecosystems on Earth and they are often referred to as ‘rainforests of the sea’. As stated in the article, Introduction to Coral Reef ecosystems, threats, and solutions, although coral reefs occupy only less than 0.1% of the worlds’ ocean surface, they are rich sources of different marine species such as fish, worms, sponges, crustaceans, and mollusks. As reported by National Wildlife Federation, the stunning and frail coral reefs found in regions like Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico are ecological gems and they significantly contribute to the nation’s overall economic growth (“Global warming and coral reefs..”). Information shows that there are nearly 6,000 coral reefs in Florida Keys between the regions of Key Biscayne and Dry Tortugas. It is the world’s third largest reef system and includes over 100 species of stony corals and a variety of fish species ranging from small sergeant majors to giant barracudas (“Global warming and coral reefs..”). Even though coral reefs are surrounded by nutrients deficient ocean waters, they develop paradoxically. Generally, coral reefs are seen in tropical waters even though the presence of cold water and deep water corals has been identified in some areas. Anyhow, coral reefs are varied and highly complex marine habitat and it promote the sustainability of a wide variety of rare micro organisms. Benefits for Humans and Wildlife In addition to their importance with regard to preservation of a huge and fragile ecosystem, coral reefs offer numerous benefits to both humans and wildlife. The coral reefs around the globe meet food and shelter requirements of thousands of marine species and this situation greatly promotes recreational and commercial fishing. Nearly six million tons of fish are fished from coral reefs a year. Researchers argue that a well protected coral reef has the potential to generate nearly 15 tons seafood per square kilometer. In addition, Southeast Asia’s coral reefs aid the region’s fisheries sector to generate approximately $2.4 billion from seafood per year. Survey results indicate that approximately 500 million people in developing economies depend upon fishing industry and aquaculture for their livelihood, directly or indirectly. Similarly, coral reefs are a major attraction of modern tourism industry, because these underwater structures provide tourists with memorable snorkeling and scuba diving experiences. Financial information point out that revenue of over $1.6 billion is generated annually from the coral reefs off the Florida Keys. It is roughly estimated that the global economic value of coral reefs is US $375 billion annually (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). National Wildlife Federation claims that coral reefs have the ability to create a breakwater protection for adjacent coasts and thereby prevent damaging storm surges. Marine biologists are of the opinion that destruction of coral reefs would result in the extinction of a large number of rare marine species. The significance of coral reefs for wildlife is clear while observing the fact that coral reefs meet the habitat requirements of nearly 25% marine life on the planet. Effects of Global Warming on Coral Reefs Coral reefs are specialized underwater structures and they need very specific living conditions to survive. They have a symbiotic relationship with ‘dinoflagllates’, algae that requires a specific set of living conditions. These algae supply coral reefs with food and oxygen and receive secure living habitat and nutrients accessibility from corals. The corals need to create energy through photosynthesis and therefore sediment-free waters are essential for them to get sufficient amount of sunlight. These structures also require very specific temperature levels. The optimum growth of coral reefs occurs at a temperature ranging between 23 to 29o C; however, they have the capacity to tolerate temperatures between 18 and 40o C. It must be noted that only “less than 0.2 percent of the global oceans are covered in tropical reefs” (“Exploring coral reefs”) and hence even a slight change in ocean can have noticeable effects reef distribution. As discussed earlier, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted a notable sea temperature increases during this century as a result of global warming. Therefore, global warming and associated rise in sea temperature level would adversely affect the living environment requirements of coral reefs. In addition, CO2 absorptive characteristic of oceans raise substantial challenges to the sustainability of coral reefs. Global warming increases the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and which in turn is absorbed by oceans over time. The increased absorption of carbon dioxide makes sea water acidic and this situation would not be favorable for anything formed of calcium carbonate, because such substances are easily dissolved by acid. As Hopkin points out, oceanographers estimate that carbon dioxide absorption may increase the level of acidity of sea water by 0.5 pH units by the close of this century. Obviously, such a big change would harm the chemical balance of oceans and ultimately the situation would end up in the destruction of coral reefs. To understand the declining calcification of coral reefs, see figure 1 Nearly 450 billion tons of carbon dioxide have been released into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution, and approximately half of that has been absorbed by oceans. When the global warming raises oceans’ temperature levels, it will directly limit the availability of nutrients. Such nutrient deficiency will also threaten the existence corals as well as a variety of micro organisms that depend on coral reefs for food and shelter. Similarly, ice sheet melting directly contributes to the sea level rise. Marine biologists opine that increases in sea water levels would threaten coral reefs unless these structures can adequately keep up with the rate of sea water rise. If coral reefs cannot maintain a proportionate growth to sea level rises, they will not get adequate sunlight. Studies show that coral reefs cannot cop up with the current rate of sea level increases because corals do not get sufficient amount of sunlight required. Since 1993, the global average increase in sea level was 2.8mm per year whereas the rise was 3.7mm a year within 100 kilometers of the coast. According to scientific studies, the Greenland Ice Sheet is likely to melt over the next 50 years and this process would raise the global sea level by almost six meters. It is clear that such a huge rise sea level would destroy numerous ecosystems including coral reefs. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (as qtd in Adam), there will be a rise in global ocean levels between 18cm and 59cm within the next 100 years if people continue to live the same way. However recent research outcomes indicate that melting of polar ice caps occurs at a faster rate than the anticipated levels. Coral bleaching can be considered as one of the potential consequence of global warming. When the sea level temperature rises, corals try to respond to the stress of the increased warmth by expelling the colorful algae which reside within them. Although some corals may be able to recover over time, majority of them dies; and this condition leads to the destruction of the whole ecosystem. It is identified that extensive bleaching events have been increasing for the past several decades and such events are expected to rise in the coming decades because sea temperature levels still show an upward trend. Since global warming contributes to ozone layer depletion, more amounts of UV radiation reach the Earth. Marine studies have clearly proven that UV radiation has a profound impact on coral reef bleaching. In addition to the coral bleaching issues, UV radiations raise a set of other challenges to the survival of coral reefs. It is clear that UV radiations can easily penetrate sea water and reach coral reefs. It states that “warmer waters are also expected to increase the incidence of other coral diseases such as black band disease, white band disease, white plague, and white pox, all of which can lead to mass mortality of coral, and subsequently the entire ecosystem it supports” (“Global warming and coral reefs.”). Since the development of coral ecosystem occurs at a slower pace, any type of damage to these structures would cause huge impacts. According to Markey, more than 16% of the world’s coral reef habitats were destroyed by an El Nino weather pattern sparked in 1998. It was also reported that numerous coral reefs in the Indian Ocean damaged in 1998. The same issue occurred across many parts of the South Pacific in 2002. It is interesting to note that these two years were the hottest and second hottest years during the past decade. As Weise reports, ocean’s coral reefs will be wiped off by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate. According to scientific predictions, the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may rise above 500 ppm under the worse scenario. At this point, nearly half of ocean coral reefs would be disappeared. However, the current rate of carbon dioxide emissions goes beyond all prediction simply due to the increased burning of fossil fuels. Hence, coral reefs’ ecosystems may be lost earlier. For more details see figure 2. The global warming has significantly affected the fish diversity in coral reefs. All marine studies point to the fact that fish diversity is being affected by biological and physical erosion. Coral reefs’ thermal limitations make them highly vulnerable to global warming consequences. Scientists claim that the Planet has already lost a range of scarce coral reefs habitats. A report of the Australian government agency on the nation’s Great Barrier Reef states that the overall condition of the reef is not satisfactory and damage to the ecosystem may not prevented effectively (qtd in Adam). Nowadays, the practice of dumping waste materials in to the sea is growing. It is obvious that industrial wastes include chemical substances that are most likely to increase the acidity of sea water. As discussed earlier, the acidic nature of the water threatens the living requirements of coral reefs. Global warming issues will certainly raise potential threats to the survival of an economically promising ecosystem. The worst effect of global warming on coral reefs is that this issue may cause the extinction of a wide variety of marine micro organisms. Effects on Human Sustainability The global warming dreadfully affects the whole globe and thereby the sustainability of humankind. It is generally misbelieved that the effects of global warming would be visible centuries later. However, unpredictable climate change, which is visible even now, is the most potential impact of global warming on humans. It is obvious that frequent changes in weather patterns would negatively affect the agricultural production because many of the agricultural crops are sensitive to atmospheric temperature. Hence, global warming can threaten the livelihood of many agricultural countries. In addition, frequent climate change may lead to natural calamities like landslides and floods. Global warming raises the average temperature at the ocean surface and this phenomenon in turn may increase the likelihood of stronger and frequent hurricanes. In addition, the warm moist temperature provides favorable breeding environment to disease carrying insects and this situation would raise potential challenges to third world countries where healthcare is comparatively weaker. Melting of polar ice caps is an associated impact of global warming. Ice melting will surely raise the sea level which in turn may lead to floods at coastal cities. Furthermore, when ice melts, its ability to reflect sunlight is lost and that increases the global warming. An increase in the average temperature at the Earth’s surface would dreadfully affect the existence of plants. It is clear that human survival is not possible in a treeless land. Hence, droughts and desertification resulting from global warming will cause devastating impacts on humankind. Causes of Global Warming The potential causes of global warming can be split into two categories: natural causes and man-made causes. However, natural causes contribute only a small percent to global warming. One of the major natural causes arctic tundra and wetlands release methane, which is a greenhouse gas. The Earth is under the process of a cycle of climate change which is also a natural cause of global warming. Usually, this climate change lasts for nearly 40,000 years. While analyzing man-made causes of global warming, pollution is the biggest man-made disturbance causing temperature increases at the Earth’s surface. In the modern world, though pollution comes in different forms, burning of fossil fuels is the most leading cause of pollution. At the time of combustion of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are released in huge concentrations which trap heat in the earth’s surface. Recently published study results indicate that the global combustion rate of fossil fuels is still increasing uncontrollably mainly because of the increased vehicle usage. The greenhouse methane gas is released at the time of mining coal and oil. In addition, the increasing population growth, especially in emerging economies like India also notably contributes to global warming. When the population grows at rampant rate, more amount of carbon dioxide will be exhaled to the atmosphere. Finally, deforestation is also a major cause of global warming. To illustrate, trees play a central role in converting atmospheric CO2 to oxygen and thereby reducing the level of greenhouse gases at the Earth’s surface. Solutions Addressing the causes of global warming would be the ultimate strategy for saving the coral reef habitat. Admittedly, it is highly essential to preserve the invaluable coral reef habitats in order to ensure the sustainability of the entire globe. Firstly, public awareness on the issue is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. People should minimize the use of electrical appliances which release greenhouse gases during functioning. For instance, refrigerator emits a greenhouse gas called chlorofluro carbon (CFC), and incandescent light lamps release large amount of carbon dioxide. Governments have to foster the development of technologically improved electrical appliances which would release least amount of greenhouse gases. It is advisable for industries and households to follow the ‘RRR-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ principle because waste dumped undergo anaerobic decomposition and release methane. Recently, a number of ‘waste to energy’ technologies have been developed to take advantages of more economical and eco-friendly treatment of waste materials. Planting more trees would be an effective strategy to minimize the impacts of global warming on coral reefs since a large volume of carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen during the process of photosynthesis. In addition to planting new trees, specific attention must be paid to the preservation of existing forests. The use of green power including solar and wind energy would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide to be emitted. In addition, house ceiling insulation and power saving initiatives are better ways to keep the temperature at the Earth’s surface stable. Researchers argue that consumption of organic food has to be increased to minimize the global warming since organic soil has the ability to absorb huge amount of carbon dioxide. People must ensure that their vehicles are in good condition so that efficient usage of fuel and thereby minimum emission of greenhouse gases may be possible. Nowadays countries are seriously considering policy amendments or new law enforcements to restrict the amount of greenhouse gases released. As Carroll points out, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 enforced by the State of California contains provisions for comprehensive programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the state (68). Although the law has not been 100% successful, it could reduce the toxic gas emissions to a great extent. Hence, it is advisable for all economies to develop legal policy that would strictly control the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, the governmental agencies have to strongly insist reef-friendly businesses such as fishing sector to thoughtfully use these underwater structures. The usage of chemical fertilizers must be also reduced because these chemical products would finally reach ocean and harm coral reefs and marine life. Finally, development of more electric vehicles may considerably reduce fossil fuel burning and thereby prevent a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Discussion and Conclusion The analysis reveals that global warming poses a very serious threat to the survival of coral reefs. This is so because coral reefs, admittedly, are highly fragile in nature. Even a minor change in the ocean temperature will lead to disastrous consequences as coral reefs are highly thermal-sensitive in nature. Also, the number of diseases affecting coral reefs increases along with the rise in temperature. Secondly, the rise in temperature results in increased CO2 levels, which makes water more acidic in nature. This leads to a decline in nutrient levels. Also, as water levels rise, the amount of sunlight available to the reefs would go down. Thus, it becomes evident that saving coral reefs is not different from controlling the effects of global warming. The current rate of coral reefs’ growth is not sufficient enough to balance the current level of ocean water increase. It is predicted that coral reef ecosystem would completely disappear from the Planet by 2050 unless effective strategies are developed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, effective greenhouse gas management plan is essential for all governments to ensure the survival of coral reefs. The probable ways as identified in the study are the adoption of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ policy, eco-friendly treatment of waste materials, reduced CO2 emissions and reduced use of fertilizers. Also, all the strategies which reduce global warming like planting trees will also have a positive impact on coral reefs too. Annotated Bibliography 1. Adam, David. “Climate scientists withdraw journal claims of rising sea levels.” The Guardian. (21 February 2010). Web. 12 March 2012. In this article, the author describes how the increasing ocean water levels can cause troubles to the sustainability of coral reefs ecosystem. The article ends with the conclusion that the current levels of ocean water rise would cause the extinction of coral reefs. 2. Adam, David. “How global warming sealed the fate of the world's coral reefs.” The Guardian. (2 September 2000). Web. 12 March 2012. In this article, Adam analyzes the future of coral reefs ecosystem if various global warming effects continue to occur. He concludes that this marine resource would be wiped off in this century itself. 3. Carrol, Ghita Levenstein. Interaction between Renewable Energy Markets and Carbon Markets: Optimal Policies to Meet Societal Goals. Madison: ProQuest, 2008. Print. The book particularly focuses on the US electricity sector and evaluates the efficiency of carbon markets in terms of policy effectiveness. The author suggests a number of alternative energy policies for the government. 4. The Coral Reef Alliance: Coral Parks Program Education Series. “Introduction to Coral Reef ecosystems, threats, and solutions.” (2003): 1-75. Web. 12 March 2012. This is an official article prepared by the Coral Reef Alliance and it describes various features of coral reefs ecosystems. It proposes some practical recommendations for the long term sustainability of this ecosystem. 5. Deimling, Thomas Schneider Von, Held, Hermann, Ganaopolski, Andrey & Rahmstorf, Stefan. “Climate sensitivity estimated from ensemble simulations of glacial climate.” Climate Dynamics. (2006). This research paper discusses the uncertainty in climate sensitivity and proposes some methods for addressing this issue. The article also reflects various aspects of climate change. 6. Hopkin, Michael. “Oceans in trouble as acid levels rise.” Nature. (2005). Web. 12 March 2012. This article points out the dreadful impacts of the rising acidity of ocean water as a result of the increased emission of carbon dioxide. Since the acidic nature of the water is harmful to coral reefs, the increased CO2 emissions threaten the sustainability of this ecosystem. 7. Liu, Paul Ih-fei. Energy, Technology, and the Environment. New York: ASME Press, 2005. Print. In this book, Liu describes the environmental impacts of combustion of fossil fuels and different environmental legislations passed over times. This book gives a detailed view of the advanced technologies developed during recent years for the promotion of environmental sustainability. 8. Markey, Sean. “Global warming has devastating effect on coral reefs, study shows.” National Geographic. (16 May 2006). Web. 12 March 2012. This National Geographic News article describes the devastating effects of global warming on coral reefs. The author argues that a notable portion of the world’s coral reefs has been already destroyed. 9. National Wildlife Federation. “Global warming and coral reefs.” Global Warming: Effects on Wildlife and Habitat. (n.d). Web. 12 March 2012. ‘Global warming and coral reefs’ is an investigative article published by the National Wildlife Federation. This article specifically focuses on the far reaching impacts of globalization on coral reefs ecosystems. 10. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Heat stress to Caribbean corals in 2005 worst on record: Caribbean reef ecosystems may not survive repeated stress.” (2010). Web. 12 March 2012. Through this article, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is trying to explain the seriousness of coral reefs destruction. It specifically describes some of the worst coral reefs damages during the last decade. 11. “Exploring coral reefs.” Save nature.org teacher guides. (1999). 699 Mississippi Street, Suite 106, San Francisco, CA 94107. This article describes various characteristic features as well as the distribution of coral reefs. It also briefly puts forward some recommendations for the sustainability of these underwater structures. Figures 1. Wijgerde, Tim. Coral calcification found to be declining, 2009. coralscience.org. web 12 March 2012. 2. Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Country, 1990-2030. Carbon Dioxide Emissions Charts, 2005. Mongabay.com. web 12 March 2012 Read More