¶ … endangered coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs, when they are healthy, are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They contain so much life and interaction many scientists call them the "rainforests of the seas." Yet these reefs are endangered around the world, and their ecosystems are changing because of pollution, mismanagement of the natural resources, and the influence of man on the fragile environments of the coral reefs.
Coral reefs are found in most tropical zones around Earth. They can only survive in certain conditions, for example, they must have an annual water temperature of at least 74 degrees Fahrenheit, and they typically do best in shallow water, where sunlight can reach and photosynthesize the plants (Ekman 4-6). The sun is the major source of energy for these ecosystems,...
In addition to sunshine, reefs are quite efficient in
recycling the nutrients around them. Another scientist notes, "Coral reefs house the bulk of known marine biological diversity on the planet, yet they occur in relatively nutrient-poor waters of the tropics. Nutrient cycling is very efficient on reefs, and complicated predator-prey interactions maintain diversity and productivity" (Agardy). Healthy reefs are efficient and abundant life sources. Fish, shellfish, plants, and a wide variety of animals make their home among the coral outcroppings of the reefs. Sponges, the corals themselves, sea urchins, a variety of worms, starfish, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, octopuses, squids, clams, scallops, marine snails, nudibranchs, and dozens of varieties of small and large fish are just some of the many animals that make their home on the reef. However, if the balance between these animals is altered, then the reef itself can suffer, and eventually die, and that is what is happening to the delicate ecosystems of reefs all over the world. Their balance is being changed by a variety of circumstances, and they are dying. Writer Agardy continues, "Some 37% of all corals in Florida have died since 1996, and the incidence of coral disease…
