Introduction
The coral reef ecosystem is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, informed by the number of species that thrive on the reef, one for one is diverse than the tropical rainforest. Nonetheless, the coral reef is considered a living ecosystem as its growth is generated by the coral polyps and symbiotic algae that require sunlight survive. The algae are the most crucial portion of the coral, as it uses the sunlight for photosynthesis and breaks down organic compounds that are utilized as the source of food in the coral community. The production of such food attracts higher numbers of marine species to the coral reef. The self-sustaining attribute of the coral reef makes it a unique ecosystem and also at risk of deterioration from external factors. Human interference is among the most dangerous aspects that threaten the sustenance of the ecosystem. There are several ways to which humans have exploited the resources brought forth by the coral and consequently diminishing its survival and sustainability (Forsman et al. 2015). Therein, this paper seeks to analyze the anthropogenic effects on the coral reef ecosystem categorically. Further, the paper will endeavor to make recommendations through which the ecosystem can be safeguarded from human interferences.
Acidification
The acidification process of the water in which the coral reefs reside and grow is heavily influenced by the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Resulting from air pollution due to fossil fuel burning, the atmospheric carbon dioxide increases in the air. Interestingly, the rate of absorption of carbon up to about thirty percent goes into the oceans. The result is the increase in the chemical composition of the marine environment where there is an increased level of hydrogen ions which reduce the pH of the water that can be interpreted as increased acidity (Haigh et al. 2015). The illustration indicates the direct impact of the atmospheric pollution to the marine environment. There are several other contributors to the increased acidity in the marine ecosystem. For instance, acid rain that is also a result of air pollution is also responsible for an increase in acidity, a phenomenon most likely to appear in heavily industrialized and urbanized areas.
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Studies conducted in the coral ecosystem indicate the presence of adverse effect to the health of the coral reef. The coral reef behavior takes the shape of a living creature and therefore the change in acidity of the environment that surrounds its effect the reef. For instance, the presence of increased carbon dioxide in the water increases the strain on the coral to grow while diminishing the environment. Such concern results from the understanding of the respiration of the reef and its ability to make the food for the species residing in the reef. For instance, from a chemical level, the process of growth of the coral is compromised by the increased acidity in the water (Forsman et al. 2015). Further, the process of acclimatization takes place in the environment that is absolute for the growth of the coral reef. Therefore, when the environment changes; the increased acidity highly compromises the growth and sustainability of the environment.
An informed investigation to the particulars of the effect of the acidity to the coral ecosystem takes place to a molecular level. For instance, the change in acidity changes the chemical reactions through which organic compounds are converted into food. In the same manner, the energetic pathways of the coral are impacted by the change in the environment to the sense that acclimation is affected (Haigh et al. 2015). These changes in the coral environment affect the growth of the coral reef. Informed of this fact, studies conducted to illuminate this effect of the coral indicate significance impact in the molecular crystal bonding. The effect further spreads to the cytoskeletal organization of the various species that compose the coral.
Nonetheless, there is the diverse and differing opinion of the effect of acidity to the coral reef one both molecular composition and physical shape of the coral. For instance, there are researchers in the field who contend that the degree to which acidity of the coral environment changes is insignificant in the long run (Edmunds et al. 2014). Cognizant of the changing environment, the effect of acidity is only a temporal event as within a short period the organisms that compose the coral adapt to the changing environment. This perspective argues that for a coral environment to be profoundly affected; there needs to be a composition of some changing facets within the coral environment (Yeakel et al. 2015). Therein the effect of the acidity increase in the coral environment is only significant when there are combining factors. The results of the studies indicate that the coral environment is self-regulating in the adaptation process. In the long run, the changes in the crystal organization that is observed due to the acidity levels are not fatal to the coral reef but rather a change in chemical composition and shape.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication process in the coral reef ecosystem indicates the presence of excessive richness of nutrient in the water. There is a growing consensus on the damage of the nutrient enrichment of the coral by many researchers. In the past four decades, studies have indicated the decline of corals associated with the Eutrophication effect. In precise terms, the reef is a living organism; it requires the presence of specific nutrients in the environment to grow (Uthicke, Furnas, and Lønborg, 2014). Nonetheless, the presence of inorganic nutrients is fatal to the reef as it affects the coral and the algae pertinent to the growth of the coral. Inorganic nutrients within the environment disturb the algae in the coral that is responsible for the food production of the ecosystem (Bell, Elmetri, and Lapointe, 2014). This is informed by the fact that the algae can only process the organic compounds in the photosynthetic process. The inorganic nutrients act as inhibitors to the process and over time the coral reef suffers stress from various facets of its existence.
The effect of nutrient enrichment takes the shape of direct and indirect impacts on the coral ecosystem. In the effort to investigate the inorganic nutrients inhibitors, several studies indicate a degree of threshold that the nutrients reach in order to be fatal to the coral. In this perspective, the coral is categorically susceptible to bleaching as well as the tolerance to heat and light is compromised (D’Angelo, and Wiedenmann, 2014). The coral reef draws its sustenance from a wide range of natural nutrients in the environment to survive and to grow. Nonetheless, anthropogenic nutrients in excess cause the decline of the coral due to the increased pathways that create an imbalance of the processes in the coral (Yeakel et al. 2015). The impact to the reef takes the position of the changing environment brought by the anthropogenic nutrients. Their presence increases the phytoplankton loads increases stress to the coral and therefore translating the effect to the whole ecosystem.
Direct correlation of nutrient enrichment is profoundly impaired by the lack of evidence as a facet on its own. Rather, the presence of nutrition enrichment phenomena has to be in company with other conditions to affect the coral ecosystem. Studies conducted on this subject matter indicate that, while there is a change in the environment due to the nutrients increase, as long as the natural nutrients essential for coral growth exist, there is the minimal adverse effect on the coral environment (Hennige et al. 2015). However, there is conflicting evidence but only in specific cases where the increase in the nutrients concentration has been observed to contribute to decreased reproductive success as well as calcification rates. Further, the perspective is heavily adamant that it may also be responsible for the reduction of the coral skeletal density and linear extension.
On the other hand, the effects of the nutrient enrichment in an indirect perspective tend to change the coral ecosystem to the positive. For instance, the presence of such nutrients as increase the presence of particulate foods in the coral reef that the organisms within the ecosystem can utilize. Similarly, the presence of such nutrients acts as a protective agent when the coral suffers from light stress as the phytoplankton deploys as sunscreen. Nonetheless, the negative impacts of the overnutrition are fatal to the coral. For instance, the nutrient enrichment process triggers the growth and increase of microalgae as well as the increase of microalgae densities on the coral reefs (Hennige et al. 2015). The result is the phenomena of inhibition of coral recruitment due to the competitive nature of coverage of the algae that subsequently lead to coral mortality. Further, the algae growth leads to the chemical disturbance of the coral ecosystems as well as other processes such as mechanical abrasion and reducing water exchange.
Coral bleaching and abnormal weather conditions
The coral ecosystem is highly sensitive to temperatures and light that often is crucial to the sustainability of the ecosystem. The change in the atmospheric temperatures change and the temperature of the water and therefore directly affecting the coral development and growth. The coral decline can be attributed to the thermal and turbidity stresses that it is exposed to due to the increase in temperature. The process of production of healthy coral requires an environment that is consistent in temperature for the production of food essential to the organisms in the ecosystem (Hongo, and Yamano, 2013). Nonetheless, studies have indicated that the bleaching process that increases coral mortality is the inconsistency of all species of the coral reefs. For instance, the process affects adversely and at a higher rate the tabular and branching corals. Abnormal weather patterns such as the El Niño are responsible for direct and indirect impact on the coral reef through the increase of the bleaching process. The combination of the temperature and the destructive forces of the weather and currents in the ocean disturb the coral processes and therefore the degrading of the entire coral ecosystem. The currents, for example, bring about a change in both temperature and chemical composition. The change is destroying the balance of temperature that the coral can survive, and the chemical compounds expose the coral to thermal stresses.
Conclusions
While there are adverse effects of anthropogenic interferences to the coral reefs, few positive results have been observed as in the discussion above. Human activity has been identified as the lethal to the ecosystem of the coral reef which requires increased informed intervention. The discussion further illuminates the presence conjunction of the factors that affect the coral to be devastating. Cognizant of such fact, any attempt to the rehabilitation of the coral reef should be informed on all the Anthropogenic Effects and not just a single facet. Therefore, it’s imperative to understand that while the coral reef is a living organism and sustainable, any intervention protocols and programs ought to be sustainable.
References
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