Process Log Entry: 10/20 10/24

Goals From Last Week

Last week I wanted to do research on invasive species in coral reefs. So, during class I
researched a lot of information on the lionfish, because lionfish are one of the main invasive
species that severely harm coral reef ecosystems. I also wanted to rewrite my outline and send it
to my mentor, which I did on Thursday. The outline is now more focused on input and output of
materials in coral reef habitats that only beneficial vs harmful activities in all marine
environments. I also did do research on cement fillings and mineral extraction, which is
discussed more in depth in the research section. I havent started writing the research paper,
because it took more time than I anticipated to search the new information and rewrite the rough
draft.
Mentor
My mentor and I have set a date for a mentor meeting on 10/24 at 8:30 pm. However this process
log was turned in before the meeting occurred so the information that we discussed will be in
next weeks process log. We are going to discuss my new outline as well as possible products
and how I should develop my research paper.

Research
This week I researched mainly the lionfish. The lionfish is a venomous invasive species that is
native to IndoPacific coral reef ecosystems but has been transferred to the coasts along North and
South America. The lionfish has is highly valued in the aquarium trade for their beautiful colors.
They are brown, maroon, and red with white stripes. Lionfish also have dorsal, pelvic, and anal
spines that deliver venomous puncture wounds that may be fatal. Lionfish are extremely
destructive invasive species, because they have few known predators and consume anything that
fits in their mouths. This causes large reductions of native species who eat algae off of corals.
The invasion of lionfish is irreversible and hard to control due to the fact that they reach sexual
maturity at 2 years of age and can produce over 30,000 eggs during a spawning period.
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/exchanges/lionfish/

http://ocean.si.edu/corals-and-coral-reefs (general coral reef information)

Most diverse of all marine ecosystems
all species depend on the coral reefs for food & shelter but they cover 1% of the
Earths surface


Corals share a polyp: have a mouth with a ring of tentacles that eat nearby small
organisms (this means that corals have a reproductive and digestive system)

Shallow:
Live in warm water
Zooxanthellae: algae that lives on the corals algae gets their food from photosynthesis
and then passes some of the food that they made to their host, in exchange the coral gives
the algae nutrients. This relationship is the reason that corals can grow into large
structures like reefs.
The algae is the reason why corals appear colorful.


Types of Corals

1. Hexacorals: stony corals, black corals, sea anemones coral
- Smooth tentacles in multiples of six ( which is why they are called hexa)
2. Octocorals: soft, seafans, organpipe, blue corals eight tentacles (octo)

Reproduction
Asexual reproduction allows them to increase in size rapidly
Sexual reproduction allows for diversity among species mass
spawning

Great Barrier Reef: 1,600 miles

Shallow: these are the coral that build the reefs growth of corals is greater than the death of
corals, live in tropical climates, algae need light, 75-80 degrees
Deep: Cold, dark, 20 000 feet deep, corals do not need sunlight to survive

(information that was taken from the revised outline this week)

Cement Fillings
Large amounts of cement are emplaced into the ocean on top of coral reefs in order to develop
land or build hotels.
a. Ex: Phuket Province: 250 square kilometers destroyed
b. staghorn corals completely destroyed

IV. Mineral Extraction
A. bottom-tending fishing gear, deep-sea coral harvesting, fossil fuel and mineral
exploration and extraction, and submarine cable/pipeline deploymen
1. corals are very slow growing and fragile
a. especially susceptible to physical damage

B. bottom-tending fishing gear (especially bottom trawl gear)
1. force against the seafloor from the trawl gear is large
2. spatial distribution of bottom trawling is extensive
C. Exploration for and production of oil and gas resources
1. anchors, platforms, and cables damage corals when lowered onto sea floor.
2. During the drilling process fluids can unintentionally be released
a. ex: Lophelia pertusa colonies
D. Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
1. Since pre-industrial times, over half of the additional CO
2
emissions caused by human
activities have been absorbed by the ocean
a. CO
2
lowers the saturation of the minerals used to form skeletal structures in corals
b. saturation levels decreases with depth so effect of ocean acidification on deep-sea corals is
significant.

http://ocean.si.edu/corals-and-coral-reefs
Goals for Next Week
Next week I am going to have my mentor meeting and I want to discuss my revised research
paper and possible products. My rough draft is also due on Monday so I will have to have that
completed. During the week I want to look up information that I may not have had enough of in
my rough draft. The activities that I do next week will highly depend on the course of action that
my mentor and I decide to do after our meeting. I also want to find one more invasive species
that is harmful to coral reef ecosystems.