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Coral Reefs Face Extinction: Questions Answer the following questions. 1. How many animals in the ocean make their home in coral reefs? 25% of total marine species 2. Describe what is happening to the coral reefs. What is causing this? They face extinction (most endangered species on earth) o 1/3 of 700 species threatened o We are the main cause Overfishing (by dynamite or poison) Polluted runoff from agriculture Development in booming coastal economies Tourism (diving, snorkelling) causes damage o Disease Whole colonies can be wiped out o Climate change and global warming Warmer H2O temperatures cause bleaching 3. What is bleaching? What causes it? Algae, who live in coral, provide colour to coral Coral becomes stressed by rising temperatures, and algae are expelled from coral Turns reefs white: bleaching 4. What steps should we take to protect the coral reefs? Cut back on activities that ruin their habitat in shallow waters Stop agriculture runoff, destructive fishing practices Best thing to do: expand the range of territory protected by marine reserves STOP CLIMATE CHANGE 5. What is the biggest factor affecting the coral reefs? Justify your answer. Everything else can be done, but if climate change doesn’t stop, bleaching will continue to kill coral reefs 6. Are rainforests or coral reefs more endangered? How do you know? Coral reefs are more endangered o ’68-’03: 600 square miles of reefs gone 1%/year, which is 2X that of rainforests disappearing 7. What do you think it means when two organisms have a symbiotic relationship? When different species have a cooperative or mutually dependant relationship 8. What is Reef Check? Global network of volunteer snorkelers and divers, specially trained by scientists to monitor reefs using a standardized checklist 9. Why are the coral reefs so important? Preservation of biodiversity o They constitute a complex and vast global ecosystem, home to millions of species of plants and fish o They protect the shore in some areas from potentially destructive waves Several anticancer drugs are derived from reef species Natural beauty and allure generate tourist dollars