Azucena Cano

12/09/2008
Research Paper Final Draft

Breathtaking Wonder: Coral Reefs

Coral reefs take hundreds or thousands of years to form. They usually grow 5

millimeters per year. Most coral reefs around the world live up to five to ten thousand

years old. Coral reefs are made up of polyps, which are tiny animals that create limestone

skeletons using calcium seawater. And now what has taken centuries to build can be

destroyed instantaneously (“Coral Reef Biosphere”).

Indonesia is known to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, recognized

for its enchanting “sea forests” or coral reefs. They are located all over the Bali islands

and the Coral Triangle (located from the central part of the Solomon Islands to the Indian

Ocean). Coral reefs are the home to many fish species and are among the most beautiful

things in the ocean. Unfortunately, coral reefs have been mismanaged in different ways.

Over the years coral reefs in Indonesia have been mismanaged due to global warming,

cyanide and blast fishing. These three major threats have damaged beyond what is

expected.
Dynamite fishing or “blast fishing” is a horrible mechanism to kill coral reefs.

Fishermen chose certain areas to kill fish and coral. The bomb weighs about 1kg and it

will kill 3-4m diameter of a coral reef. After the bomb has set off, fishermen will “use dip

nets” and catch their fish. Blast fishing has been a threat to coral reefs since the end of

WWII (TRACC). People thought it would be easier to catch fish since it is more fun than

regular fishing. Normally the fishermen will want to hunt the biggest fish, so they set the

bombs around the coral reefs. “Large blasted areas are slow to recover because corals

have difficulty establishing on loose or sandy substrate” (Moore).

 Rock pile experiments on blasted reefs.

© 2001 Helen E. Fox

Cyanide fishing is an illegal form of fishing, because it’s used with a compound

chemical called cyanide. It was first used in the Philippines back in 1962 as part of an

international trading system. This method is preferred used since it is not noisy, and the

procedure is simple. The cyanide is crushed and then put into a water bottle. Then the

fisher can dive towards the fish and “squirt the toxic liquid into his face” ("Cyanide: an

easy but deadly way to catch fish”). This is why so many fishermen use it. The poison

works like a tranquilizer; it doesn’t kill the fish it just puts it to sleep. This method is

very practical since instead of spending the whole day fishing, with cyanide fishermen

can catch over 50 fish a day. How does this relate to coral reefs? Cyanide kills coral. Tons

of cyanide is poured in the ocean by local fishermen. Biologist Sam Mamauag of the

International Marinelife Alliance (IMA) says that “a square meter of reef is destroyed for

every live fish caught using cyanide” ("Cyanide: an easy but deadly way to catch fish”).

“Scientists estimate over 27 percent of the world's coral has been permanently lost. They

estimate that 30 percent will disappear over the next three decades” (Katyal, Sugita, and
Adhityani Arga). This issue is important because when coral reefs are in danger its not

because they die naturally, it’s because of human damaging the coral. Humans have to do

something big in order to help restore the coral that has been extinct. It’s only fair to

create new ways in order for this to stop happening. Within the next few decades

Indonesia and other countries’ coral reef will disappear forever.

Researchers have found that more than half of the world’s coral reefs could die in

lessthan 25 years. Currently there are thirteen national parks around the world that are

occupied by coral reefs. They cover 284,300 square kilometers around the world. Global

warming is one of the causes to make this happen. The temperatures of the ocean in the

Coral Triangle are rising, making the coral reefs to increase its pollutants which are waste

materials that contaminate the ocean ecosystem. The warm water causes the reef to lose

its pigment, this makes the reef to become weak and quickly die. Just as the temperature

of the atmosphere affects the environment the temperature of the ocean water affects the

coral reefs making the ecosystem to be unbalanced (CNN.com).

The increments of the ocean’s temperature coral reefs are beginning to decompose

as the years pass. This also means that habitants such as animals and plants that live in

the coral reefs are dying. Most of the animals that live in the coral reefs are in danger due

to the banishing of the coral reefs making the animals to become extinct. The sea animals

that inhabit the coral reefs are sponges, bivalve mollusks, and sipunculans. Also, the coral

reef’s extinction causes the big animals not to be able to eat. In certain areas the coral

reefs will disintegrate but in others the coral reef will try to form itself back again. And

the areas that are currently damaged by rising temperatures will never be reconstructed.

Global warming is not the only cause that is making the coral reefs to die. It is a

combination of different things, for instance silt from construction citeswhich prevent the
reef from getting enough sunlight and increases the amount of green algae that helps

cover the sunlight that the coral reef receives (CNN.com). Construction cites, waste

products and toxins from boat paints are factors to make the coral reefs die.

Since the temperatures of the ocean are rising, soon enough there will not be any

coral reefs left. It might not be too late to prevent, but what I think would be helpful

would be to let society know what is going on with coral reefs.

Marine biologist and senior adviser to Conservation International in Indonesia,

Mark Erdmann acclaimed “But runaway development and both dynamite and cyanide

fishing have imperiled many of Indonesia’s coral reefs, which provide the critical habitat

for fish and other reef animals” (Friedman). The solution to this problem would be

preservation. The plan is to create a system that will help create biodiversity in Indonesia.

People in Indonesia need to become unified and educated about the problem with coral

reefs. The more people Indonesia teaches, the more people will help prevent coral reefs

from being mistreated.

First they will need to make sure that the coral is being protected by law. In order

to fish in Indonesia, fishermen should only fish in areas where there is no coral near.

Hopefully there will be a facility where people can supervise what’s being fished and

who is breaking the law. This should help sustain the coral preservation and also look out

for any other threats to all marine life. Many organizations have already been taking care

of the coral reefs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an

organization that has helped preserve coral reefs. Hopefully, they can also help educate

more people about the mismanagement in Indonesia. I plan to send a letter to the

organization telling them that they need to build a foundation with the people of

Indonesia to help preserve coral reefs. This is not an easy project, but it is possible to
make something happen. People need to come together and spread the word to their

community so that change is made. Indonesia’s coral reefs should be seen as part of the

breathtaking wonders of the world. We are losing one of the most precious ecosystems.

Change shouldn’t be avoided.

Citations

Amalie, Charlotte. “Dire Prediction for World’s Coral Reefs.” CNN.com October 25,

2006. November 3, 2006.

<http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/10/25/coral.threat.ap/index.html.>

"Blast Fishing." TRACC. 13 Aug. 2002. 07 Dec. 2008

<http://www.tracc.00server.com/fisheries/blast_fishing/blastfishing_index.html>."Coral

Reef Biosphere." Exploring the Enviroment Coral Reefs. 28 Apr. 2005. 08 Dec. 2008

<http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/coralreef/crbio.html>.

"Cyanide: an easy but deadly way to catch fish." WWF. 29 Jan. 2003. 08 Dec. 2008

<http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/features/index.cfm?unewsid=5563>.

Friedman, Thomas L. "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—and

How It Can Renew America." Delta Sky. Sept. 2008. 07 Dec. 2008

<http://www.delta-sky.com/2008_10/thought-leader-friedman-hot-flat-

crowded.php>.

Katyal, Sugita, and Adhityani Arga. "FEATURE-Indonesia's Corals Threatened by

Climate Change." Reuters. 28 Nov. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008

<http://www.reuters.com/article/latestcrisis/idusjak32235>.

Moore, Michael D. "Blast Fishing and Coral Reef Damage." EcoReefs. 12 Apr. 2004. 08

Dec. 2008 <http://www.ecoreefs.com/damage.php>.

"Reefs in Danger." River Deep. 12 Nov. 2001. 08 Dec. 2008

<http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2001/11/111201_reefs.jhtml>.