Increased emissions of CO2 as a result of human activities have contributed to the warming of the earth’s surface; this includes the temperature of the world’s oceans, which is having a devastating effect. The continued decline and loss of coral reef ecosystems will have significant social, cultural, economic and ecological impacts on people and communities in the U.S. and around the world. Corals growing in very shallow water are the most vulnerable to environmental hazards. Although early conservation laws were passed to protect speci fi c species (sea turtles and fry), it is important to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group Asia, IUCN. Already, 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been lost and another 16% were severely damaged during the 1998 El Niño event. As a result, they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of human activities, both through direct exploitation of reef resources, and through indirect impacts from adjacent human activities on land and in the coastal zone. Coral reefs are being degraded by an accumulation of stresses arising from human activities and changes in the natural environment. 69 Global Threats to Coral Reefs Middle East Bleaching in 1998: The devastating bleaching damage to virtually all shallow coral reefs in the Arabian/Persian Gulf in … Coral reefs are in trouble around the globe. These threats, combined with others such as tropical storms, disease outbreaks, vessel damage, marine debris and invasive species, exacerbate each other. By reducing the human use of fossil fuels, we can curb carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), slow the pace of climate change and give coral reefs the critical time they need to adapt. Most threat data is at 1-square-kilometer resolution. iv. Coral Reefs Coastal Ecosystems Series (Volume 1) ... What are the threats to coral reefs? Shallow tides can expose them to the air, drying the polyps out and killing them. Threats to coral reefs.ppt - Free download as Powerpoint Presentation (.ppt), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or view presentation slides online. four threats into the Reefs at Risk Threat Index, which attempts to represent the cumulative threat to coral reefs from these four key categories. Bermuda’s coral reefs and associated inshore and lagoonal habitats have endured 400 years of deleterious human interference. Coral reefs are threatened by increased sedimentation, euthrophication, over harvesting of fish and other reef based resources, and pollution. Poorly informed and negligent divers also harm corals by touching and standing on them. You can change your ad preferences anytime. Bermuda’s reefs have endured the impact of 400 years of human settlement and resource extraction. THREATS TO CORAL REEFS DECREASES GROWTH RATES AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY Ocean Acidi˚cation CLIMATE CHANGE = OCEAN CHANGE Increased greenhouse gases from human activities CLIMATE CHANGE dramatically a˜ectsCORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS I mpacts are immediate and long term, direct and indirect - A weakened coral is vulnerable. Direct threats are generally isolated incidents involving boats, divers and fishermen on the reef. Human Induced Threats: Over-fishing, pollution from agricultural and industrial runoff, coral mining, development of industrial areas near coral ecosystems also adversely impact corals. Branching corals growing in shallow water can be smashed by storms. The development makes the coral reef moved from one place to another places and or the development will just simply destroy the coral reef. Due to indiscriminate collection of ornamentally valuable species and destructive fishing practices, the decline and disappearance of certain species have begun. Scientists predict that another 25% may be lost by the year 2035 if human threats are not reduced. A DEADL THREAT TO CORAL REEFS. The Gulf of Mannar is home to a diverse group of corals and their associates. Most of the development take place in the coastline where the coral reef exists because most of the coral reef lives in the swallow area. Most of the development take place in the coastline where the coral reef exists because most of the coral reef lives in the swallow area. Coral reefs have experienced a global decline due to overfishing, pollution, and warming oceans that are becoming increasingly acidic. CORAL REEFS NEED: sunlight 13. In the following chapter, Chapter 4, these region-wide projections of threat are linked with observed changes in coral reefs and management responses in nine Caribbean sub-regions. Therefore, coral reefs must exist where sunlight penetrates so that they can thrive and grow. To help halt and reverse this decline, interventions should be aimed at those threats reef experts and managers identify as most severe.