Presentation of environmental

ethics
Submitted to
DR. Naila Safdar
By
Maryam Najam
Sana Javaid
Fatima Riffat
Ramsha Malik
Sofia Aurangzaib

CORAL BLEACHING

CONTENTS
Background
Causes
Consequences
World wide effects
Ethics applied against coral bleaching

Coral..
*A hard stony substance
secreted by
certain marine
coelenterates as an
external skeleton typically
forming large reefs in
warm seas.
*Polyps.
*Coral polyps
*These polyps have
microscopic algae called
zooxanthellae living within
their tissues .

Coral reefs
*Coral reefs are
diverse underwater
ecosystems held
together by calcium
carbonate structures
secreted by corals
*
FORMATION
*By colonies of tiny
animals
*By stony corals

 Zooxanthallae
*Internal symbiotic vegetable,garden.
*Fixed the carbon compound
*Photosynthesis
*Providing nutrients
*Provides colour

Bleaching
two main causes
* Density of
zooxanthallae
declines
* Photosenhetic
pigment in
zooxanthallae fall.

CORAL BLEACHING
*Coral bleaching is a process
whereby the coral colonies
lose their colour, either due to
the loss of pigments by
microscopic algae
(zooxanthellae) living in
symbiosis with their host
organisms (polyps), or
because these zooxanthellae
have been expelled.
>When coral bleaching occur?
Ans ..
* When the relationship between
the coral and zooxanthellae
breaks down
* Without zooxanthellae the
tissue of the corals animal
appears transparent and the
corals bright white skeleton is

 Background:*A growth rate decline in corals has occurred

over the last 50 years.
*Coral reefs are very old, living systems that co-existed
with the dinosaurs, and they now appear to be
collapsing and the primary cause appears to be the
assaults that have been inflicted upon them by man.
* Co-existence with man is proving to be exceedingly
tough for the corals and other sea creatures. Never
before, in all the ages of the reefs existence,
have the land animals forcibly removed great
quantities of marine life from the sea.

 Coral bleaching was first

recognized on
* It is first recognized on the pacific
coast of panama in 1982-83.

The case of 1980s

*The only coral bleaching event recorded was
due to flood from Hurricance flora that
resulted in a large drop in salinity and
bleached and killed many corals in Jamaica.

Causes Of Coral Bleaching

1 Global warming
* Increase usage of refrigerators and sprays
*Increase in number of Cfcs
*These Cfcs deplete ozone layer
*Depletion of ozone layer causes direct entrance of
UV rays on earth
*Temperature increase
*Separation between zooxenthellae and corals
*Coral bleaching
1.

2. Ocean acidification
*Increase usage of
fossil fuel
*Cause increase In co2
level in atmosphere
*Co2 dissolve in rain
*Rain fall in ocean
*Acidity increase/Ph
decrease
*Zooxenthallites death
*Coral Bleaching

3. Oil Spilling
*Oil spilling
*Layer of oil above surface of water
*Light cannot enter into water
*As zooxenthellites are photosynthetic
*So in absence of light they cannot prepare
their food
*Shortage of food
*Death of zooxanthellites
*Coral bleaching

4. Sedimentation
*Land clearing and deforestation
*Increase density of suspended silt
*Destruction of coral polyps
*Destruction of zoxenthellae concentration
*Coral bleaching

5. POLLUTION
*Waste material of
industries
*Chemical runoff into
ocean
*Causes coral to expel
algae

6.

Physical factors

*Due to physical factors (storm)

*Relationship weak
*Corals are vulnerable to infectious bacteria
*Immune system weak
*Coral diseased
*Separation between corals and zooxanthallae

Consequences Of Coral Bleaching

Social And Economic Impacts
Fisheries

*Fishes feeds on zooxanthellae

*Bleached corals separate the zooxanthellae
*As a result fishing disturb
*Fisherman cannot easily found the fishes
*Economy decline
Tourism

*It strong the economy

*Bleaching decrease the reefs
*Due to climate change and other factors
*Reef lose their interesting organisms
*Loss ability to attract the tourists
*Economy will be loss
*Impacts on ecosystem
Surrounding ocean biosphere

Tourism
.Coral reefs provide shelter and protection to many
species of fish
*In terms of biodiversity:
o *Coral reefs are often compared with tropical rain forest
*Bleached corals lose their ability to provide nourishment
of many species
*Result in loss of biodiversity of ecosystem
*The animals that rely on coral reefs include
parrotfish,sponges,shrimp etc
*Coral reefs nourishment up to a million species
So it will be a loss of ecosystem in ocean due to bleaching

Bleached corals ruin

fish camouflage
Fishes usually camouflage themselves among

colour full coral reefs they hide from the

predators
Fishes loosing their ability to hide from the
predators as corals are bleached
This is due to earths acidifying oceans
It results in loss of biodiversity and
disturbance in ecosystem

Co2 level in ocean

*Corals are very important in controlling how much

Co2 in the ocean?
*Coral polyps turn Co2 in the H2o into a limestone
shell
*Without corals the amount of Co2 in the water
would rise dramatically
*It results in the increase in acidity of worlds ocean
*It will be a threat to the future coral reef
ecosystem

INDIRECT IMPACT ON SLOWIND

DOWN GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
*Corals secrets calcium carbonate in their
skeletons
*The saturation of carbonites in sea will be
lowered
*This will make Co2 in air dissolve in to the sea
*So that Co2 in air will be reduced
*Which results in slowing down green hose
effect
*But when the corals bleached it cant help in
slowing down green hose effect

Indirect impact on the economy

*Coral many colours give it appeal for necklaces
and other jewelry items
*Intensely red coral prized as a gemstone
*But when the bleaching of the corals occur it
will be a disappearing of their colours
*Indirect it will be impact on economy such as
in import and export of jewelry items

WORLDWIDE EFFECTS OF CORAL

BLEACHING

Caribbean coral reef hurricane in

2005:
*Great destruction
*Deadliest Atlantic
Tropical Cyclone

EFFECT ON PEOPLE
*Destruction of
coastal areas
Death of 20,000
people

Names Of Countries Effected By

Coral Bleaching Worldwide
Maldives
Srilanka
Kenya
Tanzania
Indian Ocean

Approximate Destruction On World Wide Scale

60% Destruction Due To Human Activity
24% On Under Imminent Risk Of Collapse
26% Are Under Long Term Threat

Of Collapse

Panama Destruction
*Salinity caused by coral
bleaching
*Death of 50% corals

Destruction Of

Fish Industries
*Economic Destruction
*Domino Effect
*Chain Of Destruction

Great Barrier Reef

*Number of Islands
*Area
*Location
*Tourism activity
effected
*decrease in economy
*REEF MARINE PAK
organization working
for the conservation of
island

WORLD WIDE EFFORTS

*Project Of GEF And Mesa American Barrier
working in Mexico
*Partnership of UN with other countries
*Working Of GCRMN
*Working of UNCED
*Working of WORLD METROLOGICAL
ORGANIZATIONS

ETHICS REQUIRED AGAINST CORAL BLEACHING

*Coral bleaching is a very passive problem and

it ties with many environmental issues if this
problem continues for long enough ,coral reefs
can suffer reduced population and growth
rates and eventually mortality
*By applying ethics on causes of coral bleaching
we can protect corals from bleaching
*There are some factors that are responsible
for the promotion of coral bleaching

Factors Promoting
Bleach
1- Pollution
2- Global Warming
3- Ocean Acidification

POLLUTION
1.Avoid water pollution wherever possible. Do
not dump chemicals(especially human waste)
or oil in bodies of water.
2. Minimize the use of chemically enhanced
fertilizers,insecticides,pesticides
3.Water pollution must be limited .

GLOBAL WARMING
1 Global warming is due to gradual increase in the
over all temprature of the earths atmosphere
2.Take all possible measures to prevent actions that
exacerbate global warming.
3.Avoid deforestation which increases global warming..
4.Global warming is also controlled by preventing
ozone layer from depletion.
5.Ozone layer is depleted due to CCL2F2
To avoid clorofloro carbon use less amount of aerosal
sprays and oxides of gases that are produced by
vehicles

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
By Avoiding the concentration of Carbon

dioxide in the ocean results in to less ocean

acidification
Decrease the usage of fossil fuel because fossil
fuels are sources of carbon dioxide.
Respect and follow all these rules and
regulations through these adaptation we will be
able to protect corals from bleaching .