How does water availability affect the Great Barrier Reef?

How does water availability affect the Great Barrier Reef?

For the Great Barrier Reef, the main water quality issues are: Increasing sediment, nutrients and contaminants entering coastal waters in run-off from agricultural, industrial and urban land uses. Rising seawater temperatures and increasing seawater acidity associated with climate change.

How a problem with algae photosynthesis caused coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef?

When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching.

How does water clarity affect coral reefs?

The ecology of marine ecosystems is strongly governed by water clarity (turbidity, or transparency). Reduced water clarity leads to a significant loss in light, affecting photosynthetic organisms such as corals and seagrasses (Anthony and Hoegh-Guldberg, 2003, Collier et al., 2012).

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How does sediment affect the Great Barrier Reef?

Much of the sediment that is washed to the Reef is very fine and can stay suspended in the water for a long time, often travelling a great distance away from or along the coast. Sediment can also affect the reproductive cycle and early development of coral and some species of fish, and damage gills.

Why is water important in the Great Barrier Reef?

Improved water quality is important for the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds, species of conservation concern like turtles and dugong, and can likely reduce the frequency of future crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. …

What is affecting the Great Barrier Reef?

The Reef is highly vulnerable. In the past three decades, it has lost half its coral cover, pollution has caused deadly starfish outbreaks, and global warming has produced horrific coral bleaching. Coastal development also looms as a major threat.

How is coral bleaching affecting the Great Barrier Reef?

Coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef Well, in the past 20 years, over 90\% of coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached at least once. If this pattern continues, corals will not have enough time to fully recover and will quickly all starve to death.

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Why do corals grow best in clear water?

Reef corals require clear water so that sunlight can reach their algal cells for photosynthesis. For this reason they are generally found only in waters with small amounts of suspended material, or water of low turbidity and low productivity.

How does conserving water help corals?

Even if you live far from coral reefs, you can have an impact on reef health and conservation. Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that will eventually find its way back into the ocean.

Why do corals need clear water?

How does sediment affect corals?

Sedimentation has been identified as a primary stressor for the existence and recovery of coral species and their habitats. Sediment deposited onto reefs can smother corals and interfere with their ability to feed, grow, and reproduce. This can damage their partnership with coral and result in bleaching.

How does silt affect coral reefs?

ABSTRACT: Unprecedented development along tropical shorelines is causing severe degradation of coral reefs primarily from increases in sedimentation. Sediment particles smother reef organisms and reduce light available for photosynthesis.

Why is NADPH not made in algae?

Algae has been stopped from making ATP, NADPH and sugars due to the Diuron. Since Diuron stops PSII from sending electrons to the electron transport chain, there are not enough hydrogen to make ATP and without no electrons sent to PSI, NADPH cannot be made which results in no sugar.

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Why does ATP and NADPH decrease when diuron is removed?

Since Diuron stops PSII from sending electrons to the electron transport chain, there are not enough hydrogen to make ATP and without no electrons sent to PSI, NADPH cannot be made which results in no sugar. As seen in the data, ATP and NADPH is decreasing, which is resulting in sugar to decrease.

What is the role of algae in coral reefs?

Algae then produces oxygen and helps the coral in removing waste. Colour of coral reefs come from Algae ( live in the cells of coral) Algae gives coral energy by making sugars Corals give algae co2 and protection from predators How did water from the Great Barrier Reef affect ATP, NADPH, and sugars?

Why doesn’t photosynthesis take place when ATP and NADPH are decreasing?

As seen in the data, ATP and NADPH is decreasing, which is resulting in sugar to decrease. As PSII supplies PSI with electrons, If PSII does not do it’s course, PSI will not get it’s electrons to make NADPH and therefore photosynthesis will not happen.