The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef By Natasha Grech FACTS

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef By: Natasha Grech

FACTS �The Mesoamerican reef spans over 900 kilometers �It is home to over 65 species of stony coral and over 500 species of fish �The reef gives protection from storms and costal erosion �Costal societies depend on it for economic support, such as the tourism industry and fishing �It is under extreme threat

SO WHAT ARE THE SEVERE THREATS TO THE CORAL OF THE MESOAMERICAN REEF AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SAVE THIS GIANT HABITAT?

Global warming �Global Warming: “an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. ” – Dictionary. com �Global warming also causes more severe storms and a rise in water temperatures in oceans around the world �This can be a major threat to the Mesoamerican barrier reef because higher water temperatures cause coral bleaching

What is Coral Bleaching? �Coral bleaching: “Coral bleaching results when the symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-celled algae) are released from the original host coral organism due to stress” -Sciencedaily. com �It is basically the loss of algae (zooxanthellae) that exists with the coral and provides it with food �Without these essential zooxanthellae, the coral becomes a bleached or white colour because they are what provide the coral with much of their colour �This occurs when ocean temperatures rise 2 – 3 degrees F in a shorter amount of time, because of global warming �Once the coral expels the zooxanthellae, it will start to die from lack of nourishment if high temperatures continue

Impacts of Coral Bleaching � Coral bleaching threatens all the organisms that depend on the reef: � Species that use corals as a habitat and food (fish, mammoth whale shark, endangered salt water crocodile) � Local communities that depend on the reef for food, income, and tourist businesses � As well as, it weakens the reef, meaning less shoreline protection from storms and erosion � Other impacts of coral bleaching are; a loss of coral islands, a decline in species diversity and changes in the overall reef communities

Fishing �More aggressive fishing methods such as overfishing and cyanide fishing can harm coral reefs �Fishermen use dynamite and inject cyanide into water because this is a simpler method of catching fish, but also severely damages coral �A less obvious harmful fishing method is overfishing

Overfishing �Overfishing: To much fishing resulting in the depletion of certain species in an area �This can effect the reefs species biodiversity and ecological balance �It causes a disruption in the natural underwater food chain. Taking one part out will effect all the other species as well �In the Mesoamerican barrier reef, overfishing is depleting populations of lobster, conch, and finfish �A possible solution for this is stricter control of fishing regulations in off-seasons and illegal fishing

Conservation - WWF �Has worked with the Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras governments since the mid-1980’s to create marine reserves, protect and preserve the Mesoamerican reef system �WWF has also implemented several public awareness campaigns � Sea turtle conservation, fisheries management and marine protected areas �WWF is researching the impact of climate change, altered rainfall and coral bleaching �Has implemented the Mesoamerican Reef’s Marine Protected Areas Program � Helps to protect the region’s resources for wildlife and local communities �WWF collaborates with local fishermen to wipe out destructive fishing practices and implement sustainable ones

WWF – The Lobster Expedition �One of the current conservation measures WWF is implementing is the Lobster Expedition �This is to prevent the overfishing of lobsters – one of the most serious threats is the catch of juvenile lobsters which are illegal to catch under Honduran law �WWF and Darden Restaurants worked together to test a more environmentally friendly lobster trap that lets the juvenile lobsters escape but catch the ones used in restaurants �They conducted an experiment of 5 different fishing boats with 7 different trap designs �The lobster trap they tested and perfected is now required for all lobster fishermen

References � "The Atlantic Ocean's largest coral reef. " WWF. Web. 7 July 2011. <www. worldwildlife. org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/ >. � "WWF - Mesoamerican Reef - Surveying climate change impacts on Central America's coral reefs. " World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. worldwildlife. org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/surveyingclimatechangeimp acts. html> � "Coral Reefs: Bleaching Impacts. " Reef Resilience: Building Resilience into Coral Reef Conservation. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. reefresilience. org/Toolkit_Coral/C 2 c 0_Bleach. Impacts. html> � "Global warming | Define Global warming at Dictionary. com. " Dictionary. com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary. com. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //dictionary. reference. com/browse/global+warming> � "Coral bleaching. " Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. sciencedaily. com/articles/c/coral_bleaching. htm> � "Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority : : What is Coral Bleaching. " Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority : : Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. gbrmpa. gov. au/corp_site/key_issues/climate_change_and_the_great_ barrier_reef/what_is_coral_bleaching> � "Coral Reefs. " Exploring the Environment. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. cotf. edu/ete/modules/coralreef/CRanthro. html> � "WWF - Mesoamerican Reef > The Lobster Expedition - Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras. " World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. Web. 7 July 2011. <http: //www. worldwildlife. org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/lobsterexpedition 1. html>