Geographical
Phenomenon
CORAL REEFS
Ashanti July
Pricilla Mattison
Jodene Lewis
Zoe McKoy
1.What are Coral Reefs
2.Facts about coral Reefs
3.Types of Coral Reefs
OUTLINE
4.Value of Coral Reefs to Caribbean Society and
Culture
5.Causes of Coral Reefs Destruction
6.Coral Reefs Conservation-Mitigation Strategies
What is a Events that take place in
geographical space or time
Geographical A natural occurrence
involving the structure and
Phenomenon? component of the earth.
WHAT ARE CORAL
REEFS?
Coral reefs are large underwater
structures composed of the
skeletons of colonial marine
invertebrates called coral.
They are made up of the skeletons of tiny marine organisms called
coral polyps. Corals are formed by tiny marine creatures which
are confined to tropical and subtropical waters between latitudes
300N and 300S.
Coral reefs exist in areas
• where there is warm and clear oxygenated seawater where temperatures
vary between 200C and 300C.
• Clear salt water (water with normal salinity).
• Coral polyps do not grow at all in fresh water. • Waters no more than
45m deep, as temperatures decrease with depth.
• Shallow sunlit water, so that the sun’s rays can penetrate the water to
allow the coral polyps to photosynthesize and grow.
FACTS ABOUT CORAL REEFS
• Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on Earth and are the largest
living structure on the planet
• They cover less than one per cent of the Earth’s surface
• They are home to 25 per cent of all fish species./500 million people rely
on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods
• Without the existence of coral reefs, parts of Florida would be under
water
TYPES OF CORAL REEF
The three main types of coral reefs are fringing, barrier, and atoll.
BARRIER REEF ATOLLS FRINGING REEF
Barrier reefs - are extensive linear reef complexes that parallel a shore,
and are separated from it by lagoon. At their shallowest point, they can
reach the water’s surface forming a “barrier” to navigation. The Belize
Barrier Reef, the 2nd largest in the world behind Australia’s Great Barrier
Reef and has made Belize a premiere diving and conservation hotspot.
Atolls are rings of coral that create protected lagoons and are usually
located in the middle of the sea. Atolls usually form when islands
surrounded by fringing reefs sink into the sea or the sea level rises around
them (these islands are often the tops of underwater volcanoes). The
fringing reefs continue to grow and eventually form circles with lagoons
inside.
Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents.
Since the grow from the shore that are sometimes referred to as shore
reefs. They are separated from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons.
Fringing reefs are the most common type of reef.
VALUE OF CORAL REEFS TO CARIBBEAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Medicine - Coral Reefs are often referred to as the medicine chests of the sea.
Many coral reef species have medicinal potential. A number of creatures found
living on the reefs produce chemical compounds that have been put away for
human applications. Coral Reefs have been used for the treatment of
cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, leukaemia, lymphoma, and skin cancer. Other
compounds reduce inflammation, kill viruses and relax muscles.
Coastal Protection- Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby
shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal
dwellings, agricultural land and beaches. Coral reef structure buffers shorelines
against waves, storms, and flooding helping to prevent loss of life, property
damage, and erosion.
Tourism- Corals are also the source of sand for beaches on which the tourist industry is
based. Many tourists come specifically to visit the reefs themselves, to swim over
shimmering gardens of coral amongst hordes of fish. These tourists support whole
industries—hotels, shops, tours, airlines and supply chains that cater to their every need,
from dive equipment to food, thus providing an essential foreign revenue source. The
models found that coral reefs represent an economic value to the world of $36 billion per
year, and support over 70 million trips annually, making these fragile and beautiful
organisms a powerful engine of coastal and marine tourism.
Fisheries - Coral reefs are a diverse ecosystem rich in biodiversity. For years, Caribbean
fishermen have been depending on reefs to sustain the livelihoods of many coastal villages.
The Caribbean fishing industry provides employment for about 182,000 people and is a
major contributor to the GDP.
Source of natural heritage - Reef systems are living museums that have been
around for hundreds of years. They are the world’s natural heritage
CAUSES OF CORAL REEF DESTRUCTION
Human-caused, or anthropogenic activities, is a major cause of the destruction to coral reefs.
Such as Pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices using dynamite or cyanide, collecting
live corals for the aquarium market, mining coral for building materials and a warming climate
are some of the many ways that people damage reefs all around the world every day.
Global warming - Warm temperatures cause coral bleaching, turning white which, causes corals
to die
Overfishing - Corals are very sensitive to touch and are killed when fishing nets are dragged
over them. The depletion of parrot fish, which help to eat algae off corals, is becoming a major
problem.
Pollution - The discharge of sewage, oil and garbage into seas and oceans stifles corals
Hurricanes - Waves can cause widespread destruction to coral reefs.
Sedimentation - This involves the discharge of sediments from the mouths of rivers
into the sea. This makes water become cloudy, reduces photosynthesis and causes
corals to die.
CONSERVATION OF CORAL REEFS
(MITIGATION STRATEGIES)
Over the past few years, there’s been a steady increase and interest in a number of
coral conservation activities that fall into the broad category of restoration. These
include coral gardening, breeding corals in tanks and transplanting them onto reefs
and growing corals on artificial reef structures in the water.
One of the most common approaches to restoration is to place artificial reef
structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow. In some cases—for
example, when natural reefs have been bombed for fish or mined for building
materials—this approach may be an essential tool for rebuilding reefs
Over the past few years, there’s been a steady increase and interest in a number of coral
conservation activities that fall into the broad category of restoration. These include
coral gardening, breeding corals in tanks and transplanting them onto reefs and growing
corals on artificial reef structures in the water.
One of the most common approaches to restoration is to place artificial reef structures on
the ocean floor on which corals can grow. In some cases—for example, when natural
reefs have been bombed for fish or mined for building materials—this approach may be
an essential tool for rebuilding reefs
• Minimise or stop consumption of parrot fish which protect coral reefs by removing
algae that can stifle and kill corals. Also, corals provide sand for our beaches.
• Practice proper disposal of waste: Waste should be disposed of in receptacles and not
gullies, via which the garbage may end up in the sea.
• Avoid buying souvenirs made from corals.
• Education of fisher folk/men, hoteliers, citizens and tourists is most profound way to
sensitize all stakeholders about the value of coral reefs.
• Creation of marine-protected areas as fish sanctuaries. Implementation of laws and
imposition of fines for illegal fishing and methods of fishing which destroys reefs
(cyanide fishing or dynamite fishing).
• Protection of reefs by authorities.
• Implementation of a fish sustainability regional approach. This is a regional measure
whereby all Caribbean nations decide on policies and measures that foster a
sustainable exploitation of the fish stock that thrives in a coral habitat.
THE
END
