Global Warming vs. Coral reefs

In the CSA Illumina peer source I found it very helpful with my research on the Effects of Climate Change/Global Warming on Coral Reefs because the coral (zooxanthellae) are sensitive to increases in seawater temperatures. It even talked about how coral can survive the water temperature of 30 degrees C and up to 34 degrees C and still show no signs of bleaching until it hits 36 degrees C. The coral tries to adapt but still it bleaches. The coral then only has several days to survive and the reason is that it mutation rate is low and it takes longer to mutate into coral.

Effects of Climate Change/Global Warming on Coral Reefs: Adaptation/Exaptation in Corals, Evolution in Zooxanthellae, and Biogeographic Shifts
Sammarco, PW | Strychar, KB
Environmental Bioindicators [Environ. Bioindicators]. Vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 9-45. Jan-Mar 2009.


In the article "Global Warming takes a Toll on Coral reefs" I learned how not all coral reef bleaching isn't always harmful and that some coral can recover from the bleaching due to adaptation.It even was about how you can tell when coral is stress and dying from the water temperatures and pH levels. It says how we the people harm the reefs and its destroying most of the biodiversity and how reefs support up to 800 types of coral, 4000 species of fish and countless amount of invertebrates. Saving these ecosystems is imperative on a range of levels, says Caroline Rogers, a marine ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. "We have to save them for economic, ecological, aesthetic, and even spiritual reasons," she says. "People need to feel connected with nature and with systems that are bigger than they are. Coral reefs are awe-inspiring—we're losing something that we barely understand."



Global warming takes a toll on coral reefs
Table of Contents

* 1 Threats from Climate Change
* 2 Pinpointing Pathogens
* 3 The Immediate Challenge

Content Partner: Environmental Health Perspectives (other articles)
Article Topics: Coral reefs and Climate change
This article has been reviewed and approved by the following Topic Editor: John Bruno (other articles)
Last Updated: March 21, 2009