Coral Bleaching PSABy Paige Crandall and Jackie Fahrenholz

Ocean temperatures rise above the norm causing coral to stress.

This stress and rise in temperatures causes the zooxanthellae to leave

Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic organisms that live inside of coral and provide them with food

This loss of zooxanthellae causes coral to lose its color and turn a ghostly white, like it was bleached.

What is Coral Bleaching?

Any underwater environment solely made up of coral are those being specifically affected

EX: Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea Coral Reef, and Florida Reef

Anyone Specifically Affected?

Coral Comparison

Normal Fan Coral Bleached Fan Coral

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW8nCALx5iA

Movie Time!

Too much carbon dioxide in the air from human pollution

This pollution is caused by the gasses emitted into air from things like cars, factories, and airplanes

How Is Coral Bleaching Caused?

If the temperature returns to normal quickly enough, the coral can regain its color (zooxanthellae)

If not, the coral becomes permanently bleached and dies

Once dead the coral becomes covered in filamentous algae

Is it Permanent?

The bleaching of coral reef correlates to the constant pollution humans emit daily

Gases from human pollution in the air (CO2) cause the rise in air temperature which cause a rise in ocean temperature

Human Interferences?

If not stopped, eventually all coral will become bleached and die

Dead coral gets covered in filamentous algae Places like the Great Barrier Reef thrive on

tourist profit from snorkeling and deep sea diving to look at the coral

Those places will lose a lot of business and all the oceans will look white

Possible Outcomes?

Clownfish rely on coral for shelter and protection Parrot fish eat some coral for food Coral supports 25% of all marine life Provides shelter for 25% of all marine life Coral can be used for treatment for many diseases Coral protects beaches from tough waves All aquatic organisms would suffer Resources would become limited All oceans would lose their underwater color Biodiversity heavily decreases

Environmental Impact

Organisms in the water are a big part of how certain gases are cycled

Carbon is cycled through green algae in the ocean as well as carbon is dissolved in marine sediments

Green algae and bacteria in the ocean fix, dissolve and release nitrogen into the atmosphere

Now these gases wouldn’t be cycled as often

Impact on Cycles

Save Energy -turning off lights and electronics

Recycle -plastics, glass, bottles, paper, Styrofoam, etc.

Drive less -Walk whenever possible, ride a bike, or run

instead

Ways to Help?

Picture of normal fan coral from: http://www.okeanosgroup.com/blog/aquariums/how-to-select-the-right-c

oral-for-your-aquarium/

Picture of algae coral from: http://www.reefsmagazine.com/showthread.php?t=139240

Picture of bleached fan coral from: Google images (couldn’t find citation)

Videos used for all informationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEdoizgeNJk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW8nCALx5iA

Additional picture not used in presentation but used for reference from: http://www.reefteach.com.au/about-the-reef/climate-change/coral-

bleaching/

Citations