Coral Oceans Geography Ages 14 16 Lesson 5

Coral Oceans Geography | Ages 14 -16 Lesson 5 What are threats to coral reefs?

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Learning objectives 1. List the threats to coral reefs. 2. Describe the different threats to coral reefs. Look at different scales – local in Timor-Leste (dangerous fishing) systemic (Climate change) 3. Evaluate threats to the coral reefs.

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Starter: How do nutrients move through the coral reef? Draw the nutrient cycle found in coral reefs and explain the movement of nutrients. plankton seaweed decomposition Coral polyp seagrass zooxanthellae animals Nutrients available

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Coral reef nutrient cycling plankton ‘plants’ absorb from the water column and sediment seaweed seagrass zooxanthellae Coral polyp Nutrients available Nutrients are made available from waste in the water column and released from decomposition in the sediment. There a wide range of producers on the reef, including plants (e. g. seagrass), microalgae (e. g. phytoplankton), macroalgae (e. g. seaweed) and algae inside coral tissue (zooxanthellae). We have used ‘plants’ as shorthand to include all plants and algae. Some waste is directly cycled, e. g. coral polyps providing the algae that live inside them with nutrients via waste. decomposition animals Animals eat plants and other animals Decomposers such as bacteria break down waste and dead ‘plants’ and animals.

Lesson 5: What are the threats to coral reefs? How many can you think of?

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Coral threats VIEW GALLERY

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Dissolving ‘coral’ and ‘shells’ in vinegar V IVEI W E WA C VT I DI VE IOT Y

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Ocean acidification in a cup V IVEI W E WA C VT I DI VE IOT Y

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Pigs on the beach VIEW VIDEO

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Seaview Science: Reefs in recovery VIEW VIDEO

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Classification of the threats – local or systemic Colour code threats you have on your sheets. Local or systemic A systemic threat is something that is a result of global practices that will affect all coral reefs globally.

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Evaluation of threats – Which threat do you think is the worst? Why?

Lesson 5: What are threats to coral reefs? Home learning Can we reduce the effect of these threats? How? Are there any threats which MUST be resolved on a governmental scale? What can we do as individuals?