In Finding Nemo, we get a delightful look at the world under the sea. Since over 70% of the world is covered by water, we need to understand what is happening in the ocean. An incredible number of marine species are dependent on coral reefs. What happens if we destroy the coral reefs around the world? Are we in a marine crisis?
According to NASA, one third of all marine life live in coral reefs, and the coral reefs are in danger. Approximately 60%of all coral reefs in the Red Sea are thought to be in peril and this area has approximately 6% of all coral reefs in the world. That's a scary number for a lot of scientists. If we were to lose a large quantity of the coral reefs around the world, we would probably also lose a similarly large number of marine species that depend on the reefs. The Jet Propulsion Lab at NASA believes that the number of endangered coral reefs around the globe could also be as high as 60% of the total reef population.
What can we do to protect the reefs? The first thing to do is to become educated. A lot of damage to our ecosystem takes place because people don't understand how they are hurting the environment. The second thing that you can do is spread the word. some of the most effective change that has taken place in our world has come from grassroots movements.
♦ Describe what kind of organism coral is, and how it functions/lives, the life history of coral reefs, and where are the major spots on the world that coral reefs exist.
♦ Describe what kind of animal your character is. What does he/she does in day to day life. Are there any special adaptations or talents that your character has? Describe them.
♦ You must also take the character to at least 3 new environments from the readings in Chapter 6 of your textbook. For example: continental shelf, mid-ocean ridge, submarine canyon, abyssal plane, etc. See Chapter 6 for a complete list of environments. Describe what new kinds of things the character sees and what new kinds of organisms he/she meets. Describe the organisms and any unusual adaptations or talents they may have.
♦ In all your character should meet at least 7 new organisms in their appropriate environments. For example: sea anemones are found in the intertidal zone not in the deep sea zone.
♦ You must also discuss one of the following topics that deals with the very real problem of coral reef destruction:
Water pollution, Sedimentation, Coastal development , Destructive fishing practices, Coral mining , Careless tourism, Ocean warming and coral bleaching, Carbon dioxide, and Ozone depletion.
What causes the problem? What ocean life is affected? How is it affected? What can be done to reduce or eliminate this type of destruction?
♦ The adventure must be appropriate, entertaining and educational.
Use the following information as a starting point to help you form your adventure:
Marlin, Nemo |
Clownfish |
Dory |
Regal Tang or Blue Hippo |
Crush, Squirt |
Sea Turtle |
Bruce |
Great White Shark |
Anchor |
Hammerhead Shark |
Gill |
Moorish Idol |
Bloat |
Pufferfish |
Bubbles |
Yellow Tang |
Deb |
Four-Stripe Damselfish |
Gurgle |
Royal Gramma Basset |
Jacques |
Cleaner Shrimp |
Peaches |
Starfish |
"Monster" |
Anglerfish |
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WATER POLLUTION - Scientists have identified pollution as one of the leading causes of coral reef degradation. This threat comes from a variety of sources. For example, oil, gas and pesticide contamination poisons coral and marine life. Reefs are harmed when human, animal waste and/or fertilizer is dumped into the ocean or when river systems carry these pollutants to reef waters. These pollutants increase the level of nitrogen around coral reefs, causing an overgrowth of algae, which smothers reefs by cutting off their sunlight.
Trash also kills coral reef animals. Floating trash can cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive.
Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Plastic blocks the turtle's digestive tract, causing them to starve to death. Lost or discarded fishing nets- called "ghost nets" - can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.
SEDIMENTATION - Construction along coasts, inshore construction, mining, logging and farming along coastal rivers can lead to erosion. As a result, particles end up in the ocean and cover coral reefs. This 'smothers' coral and deprives it of the light it needs to survive.
Mangrove trees and seagrasses, which normally act as filters for sediment, are also being rapidly destroyed. This has led to an increase in the amount of sediment reaching coral reefs. Mangrove forests are often cut for firewood or removed to create artificial prawn farms.
Coastal populations have risen, increasing the pressures on coastal resources. This has led to a multitude of problems for coral reefs. In many areas, developers have constructed piers and other structures directly on top of coral reefs. At one time, big cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Honolulu had thriving coral reefs. Long ago, these reefs were destroyed by human pressures. Now, reefs growing near other coastal communities are experiencing the same coral degradation.
DESTRUCTIVE FISHING PRACTICES - Unfortunately, there are a few current fishing practices that are destructive and unsustainable. Some of these include cyanide fishing, overfishing, and blast fishing. Although cyanide fishing supplies live reef fish for the tropical aquarium market, most fish caught using cyanide are sold in restaurants, primarily in Asia, where live fish are prized for their freshness. To catch fish with cyanide, fishers dive down to the reef and squirt cyanide in coral crevices and on the fast-moving fish, to stun the fish making them easy to catch. Although some large tropical fish can metabolize cyanide, smaller fish and other marine animals, such as coral polyps, are poisoned by the chemical cloud produced during this process.
Overfishing is another leading cause for coral reef degradation. Often, too many fish are taken from one reef to sustain a population in that area. Poor fishing practices, such as banging on the reef with sticks (muro-ami), destroy coral formations that normally function as fish habitat. In some instances, people fish with explosives (blast fishing), which blast apart the surrounding coral.
CORAL MINING - Mining also destroys coral. Sometimes coral pieces are removed for use as bricks or road fill. Or, sand and limestone from coral reefs are made into cement for new buildings. But corals aren't only removed from their habitat for construction; they are also sold as souvenirs. Coral curios and jewelry are often sold to tourists and exporters in the markets of developing countries.
CARELESS TOURISM - Tourist resorts that empty their sewage directly into the water surrounding coral reefs contribute to coral reef degradation. Wastes kept in poorly maintained septic tanks can also leak into surrounding water, eventually seeping out to the reefs. Whenever people grab, kick, walk on, or stir up sediment in the reefs, they contribute to coral reef destruction. Corals are also harmed or killed when people drop anchors on them or when people collect coral.
OCEAN WARMING & CORAL BLEACHING - Global warming is caused by the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gasses in the atmosphere. These gasses act as a blanket, preventing the heat of the sun to escape through our atmosphere. This is primarily due to fossil fuel burning and deforestation and many scientists believe that this is causing sea surface temperatures to rise.
Ocean warming is extremely dangerous to coral organisms, which are very sensitive to changes in temperature. Increased water temperatures, which may be linked to global warming, can cause mass coral bleaching. This occurs when coral polyps, stressed by heat or ultraviolet radiation, expel the algae that live within them. These algae, called zooxanthellae (zo-zan-THEL-ee) normally provide the coral with up to 80% of their energy, making zooxanthellae essential for coral survival. The algae are also normally responsible for the color of the coral, so when they are expelled, the coral appears white or "bleached". There is a chance that bleached coral can recover if conditions return to normal. However, in the face of other human-induced pressures, coral have become vulnerable. In many cases, bleached coral colonies die.
CARBON DIOXIDE- In the past few decades, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air has increased by one-third. This is harmful to corals because increased amounts of carbon dioxide are dissolving in to the water, which appears to be dissolving the skeletons of corals. As a result, coral in waters with large amounts of carbon dioxide form weaker skeletons, making them more vulnerable to damage from waves, careless tourists, and destructive fishers.
OZONE DEPLETION - The destruction of the ozone layer, which accompanies global warming, is caused by the presence of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other chemicals in the atmosphere. This presence causes the depletion of protective ozone in the atmosphere and increases the intensity and nature of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth's surface. Although corals have a natural sunscreen to protect themselves from the tropical sun, most scientists believe that increased levels of ultraviolet radiation damage coral in shallow areas.