Transcript MEI Bio #1 - WordPress.com

The
Mesoamerican
Reef
Threats to the great
ecosystem, and solutions to
the issues.
By: Jessica Allingham
Description
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The reef is an environmental
treasure.
It stretches for 115 million acres
across the Caribbean coasts of
Belize and Guatemala, to the
Bay Islands in northern
Honduras.
It has 65 species of stony coral
and more than 500 species of
fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=_KQILcC_qxM (watch a
clip of the Mesoamerican Reef)
Threat: Fishing Practices
Bottom trawling:
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Once rockhopper trawls were
introduced in the 1980s, nets used for
trawling could pass easily over rough
surfaces such as corals.
These trawls are very powerful and can
move boulders weighing 25 tonnes
making them a huge threat to coral
reefs.
Shrimp trawls, which until now have
been conducted in Belize, catch more
untargeted species, or bycatch, than
almost any other type of commercial
fishing
“In an experiment off Alaska, 55% of
cold-water coral damaged by one
pass of a trawl had not recovered a
year later.” (World Wildlife Fund)
These trawls destroy the habitat of the
many amazing species that inhabit this
amazing reef.
Smashed and dead coldwater coral fragments in a
trawling ground
Cyanide Fishing
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Cyanide fishing entails emitting sodium
cyanide into the water to stun fish so they can
be caught easily.
Cyanide fishing supplies live reef fish for
restaurants in many Asian countries.
“Some 20,000 tonnes of live fish are eaten
annually in the restaurants of Hong Kong –
and for every live fish caught using cyanide, a
square meter of their coral reef home is
killed.” (World Wildlife Fund)
Dynamite Fishing:
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When Dynamite fishing explosives
are set off underwater killing the
fish in the surrounding area and
causing them to float to the
surface.
Not only does the explosive kill
the fish but it also utterly destroys
the underwater environment
including the coral reefs.
“One blast can lead to a catch
of up to 400 kg of fish and a profit
of US$1,800 in market sales, a
lucrative short-term profit despite
the long-term destruction left
behind.” (Wells, S. 2009.)
Overfishing:
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In today’s society there are way
too many fish being caught
leaving fish populations fighting
to continue from generation to
generation.
Overfishing decreases the
biodiversity of the reef.
“Greater species diversity
ensures natural sustainability for
all life forms [and] healthy
ecosystems can better
withstand and recover from a
variety of disasters.” ( Shah, A.
2011)
Overfishing for undersized
lobster, as well as females
carrying eggs, is a serious
conservation problem facing
Central America’s
Mesoamerican reef.
Threat: Climate Change
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“The current increase in global temperature of 0.7°C since
pre-industrial times is disrupting life in the oceans, from the
tropics to the poles.” ( World Wildlife Fund)
If the local temperature in the Mesoamerican Reef area
were to increase 2 degrees Celcius the threat would be:
acute sea level rise, coral reef bleaching though
temperature rise and acidification, loss of tourism attractions
and fishing ground for livelihoods highly dependent on
fisheries and tourism.
Coral Bleaching:
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Coral bleaching is a stress response caused
by high water temperatures; it can lead to
the death of the coral.
The heat impacts the algae that supply the
coral with food. The heat stress damages
the algae which then leads to coral death.
Bleaching makes the reefs more
susceptible to other stresses such a disease
which is why it often can lead to death.
In 1998, a mass coral bleaching caused
significant coral death on the
Mesoamerican Reef.
By July 2005, bleaching reports came in
from Belize, Mexico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands affecting between 25% and 45% of
coral colonies. (World Wildlife Fund)
Stormy Weather:
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Global warming is predicted to cause
many storms and unpredictable weather.
“Hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn hit the US
Virgin Islands National Park in 1989 and
1995, respectively, and did massive
damage to coral ecosystems.” (World
Wildlife Fund)
The 2005 hurricane year broke all records
with 26 named storms, including 13
hurricanes.” (World Wildlife Fund)
Storms and hurricanes are becoming more
and more common in our world today.
Hurricanes cause considerable damage to
reefs via wave action and runoff of
muddy, polluted freshwater.
Moving Homes:
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Since the water is heating
up many marine
populations are moving
north to colder waters that
they are more
accustomed to.
When the species leave
the reef the biodiversity of
the reef is diminished
leaving the reef remaining
populations susceptible to
and changes in the
environment.
If all the species leave the
Mesoamerican Reef then it
is no longer the treasure
that is is today.
Protective Measure:
Reef Check Program
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is a widely used coral monitoring system.
 It is a very simple yet effective method of
protecting our coral reefs.
 It is mamaged by the Reef Check
Foundation, an international marine
conservation organization based out of
L.A., California, United States.
 It has teams in over 80 countries
What They Do:
The Reef Check Program unites communities, the
government, academia and businesses to:
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Create a global network.
Educate the public about the issues.
Scientifically investigate coral reef ecosystem
processes.
Facilitate collaboration between academia,
businesses, NGO’s and the government.
Start local community action to protect the reef
Reef Check also provides data about the reefs
and is working on an interactive reef monitoring
data management system with ReefBase.
What They Do:
 Reef
Check puts together forums.
 They get the community involved in
initiatives like:
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Coral Cleanup.
Supporting Reef friendly businesses.
Not using pesticides and fertilizers.
How they Do It:
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Reef Monitoring Program is
completely volunteer run.
 However, training and management is
sometimes required.
 This training and management is funded
by private donations, grants from
foundations, the United Nations and other
international and national agencies.
Bibliography
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Wells, S. Dynamite Fishing in Northern Tanzania–Pervasive, Problematic and yet Preventable.
Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 20-23 (2009)
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Reef Check. Reef Check. (2007). Retrieved June 27, 2011 from http://www.reefcheck.org/
Shah, A. Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares?. Global Issues . (April 6 2011).Retrieved
June 27 2011 from http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-importantwho-cares
World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (n.d.). The
Atlantic Ocean's Largest Coral Reef. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/
World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (n.d.). Fishing
Problems Destructive Fishing Practices. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/problems_fishing/destructive
_fishing/
World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (n.d.).
Sustainable Traps Boost Lobster Conservation in Central America. Retrieved June 27, 2011,
from http://central-america.panda.org/about/countries/nicaragua/?uNewsID=70840
World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (n.d.).
Marine Problems: Climate Change. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/climate_change/
World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (n.d.). The
Atlantic Ocean's Largest Coral Reef. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org
Word Wildlife Fund –Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. (Decemer
2009). Two Degrees is Too Much. Retrieved June 27, 2011 from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/WWFBinaryitem14669.
pdf
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