Ocean Ecology National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “About Corals”

In National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  http://coralreef.noaa.gov/

 (Links to an external site.)

 “About Corals” we learned that corals are animals from the phylum Cnidaria and the Anthozoa class. These relatives of anemones and jellyfish are sometimes compared to plants and some people may accidently think they are rocks. There are over 800 corals that build reefs that we know of and others which are soft or deep sea corals. We learn more as our technology advances and I find that very interesting. Finding new species is of great interest me. The ocean is huge and full of so much and we need technology to see it many times. This is because we are having difficulty breathing under water without the correct technology. Additionally pressure is very difficult to handle and we do not have the necessary adaptions.

Although 45% of the reefs are safe, there has been a worldwide loss of 19% and that 35% of our coral reefs are threatened. This ties into our other headings of “Threats” and “Conservation”. I found the interactive coral reef to be fun and beautiful as well as informative. It was important to look at how important coral ecosystems are. There are people who live off the biodiversity and food produced in these regions. The coral helps to protect he coast, it gives biodiversity and it is know for its tourism and recreational qualities.

There are fisheries that rely on coral ecosystems for the food that it produces, and even some people need to rely on it for recreational fishing, aquarium or marine ornamental trade and even curios and fashions. I have had people tell me they have preserved fish, or pieces of coral. Well managed reefs can produce food for a long time, but some people use cyanide, explosives or trawling which damages the coral and kills many fish. This really upset me since it destroys so much of the natural ecosystem,

Examining coral facts, I was able to locate a lot of details about coral. It can reproduce sexually or asexually. People depend on them and they provide a lot of food boosting local economies. Oil spills, physical, biological and chemical issues can impact the coral reef. Many use photosynthesis to obtain energy using algae. Others may gather food using their tentacles. You will find most reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The largest effect on coral reefs are climate change since there are diseases, chemicals, temperature rises and more also affecting the water. Carbon dioxide is absorbed into the ocean and it cause reef organisms to have their calcification rate reduced. This could make other coral attempts not work when we try to do something to help. Ocean acidity makes it hard for the formation of calcification. This is a difficult thing to alter and it could be very hard to fix the ocean once it has had this sort of problem. It reduces the biodiversity and it causes mass bleaching events. This makes it hard for coral to grow and may kill coral. Climate change effects many aspects of our weather and how the ocean reacts and move. This effects food that is available to humans and other consumers.

There are a variety of methods that have been used to help ensure that the coral reefs are prepared. There are ecosystem-based management systems. This means using a variety of holistic methods. This means minimizing pollution, working to ensure there are safe water sources, protecting the area from fishing, to create preservation and to customize the system to the particular area.

There are other systems used to address the coral reef and how to protect it. This means that physical, chemical and biological systems are all handled. This means that here are a var3erity of activities that need to be worked out, this means talking to people, using research, determining what the biophysical array possesses and doing what they can to protect on and off ground management of the coral reefs.

I watched the video on the coral spawn. This annual event is done only at night when other beautiful creatures come out. It is dangerous, but they need to capture the gamete packages released by  the corals so they can be used to fertilize coral eggs in the lab. They showed that the coral are millions of different types of individuals living in colonies. We are seeking to discover how it is they reproduce and why their distribution is the way it is.