Climate Change and Coral Reef Degradation: The Case of the Great Barrier Reef ENSC4012

Problem Statement:

Corals are microscopic algae which live in a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae namely zooxanthellae. They are visualized as colorful figures in the ocean. However, with rapid increase in global warming, thermal stress on the corals is also increasing. This has led to coral bleaching which can be significantly observed in the great barrier reef (Reef Resilience Network, 2024). This phenomenon can be understood as with increasing temperature of the ocean water, the level of stress on the corals increases. This causes the corals to expel the algae from their mutual association and start to look white in color as if they are bleached. If the temperature of the ocean remains higher than the normal levels, the coral will not accept the algae back and will ultimately die.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association reports that between the duration 2014 to 2017, around 75% of the worlds coral reef experienced severe heat stress and around 30% of the corals died due to this (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA],2024). This has ecologically affected the growth rates of the corals. In addition to this, other organisms of the aquatic ecosystems such as fish and invertebrates which are dependent on coral for their nutrition are also affected by it. It also indirectly affects the revenue obtained from reef tourism and the production of pharmaceutical compounds (World Wildlife Fund [WWF], 2024).

Rationale:

The great barrier reef in Australia is a natural habitat for the coral reefs. They are extremely valued for their ecological functions, economic value and cultural significance to Australian population. The ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef is restructuring itself due to increased levels of coral bleaching. There is a need for strategic intervention to reduce the impact of global warming on the coral reefs, which may gradually become extinct due to climate change (Hempson et al., 2023).

The sudden decrease in the population of coral reefs will disrupt the food chain of the aquatic ecosystem. The other aquatic species such as fish and invertebrate species will not be able get adequate nutrition for their survival, as a result of which their numbers will also start declining. They also act as a barrier in preventing floods and high tidal waves. Coral reefs are characterized by their ability to filter toxic contaminants from the ocean waters and are also called filter feeders. In addition to this, coral reefs serve as a source for the production of many pharmaceutical compounds. Thus, it is very important to reduce the mass bleaching of coral reefs and preserve the valued corals of the great barrier reef (McClanahan et al., 2022).

Research Questions (5 marks)

1.What are the underlying reasons for increased coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef?
2.How does increasing global warming is affecting the rate of coral bleaching?
3.How is the aquatic ecosystem affected by the increase in coral bleaching?
4.What are the economic and sociological impact of coral bleaching on the Australian population?
5.What are the different types of interventions proposed by the environmental agencies to reduce coral bleaching?

Methodology (approx. 300 words) (5 marks)

A detailed literature search was done to research on increased coral bleaching on the great barrier reef. For this, databases such as google scholar, PubMed, web of science were used to retrieve relevant scientific papers and review articles related to coral bleaching. Only peer reviewed journals such as Springer, Science direct, Nature,Wiley, Taylor and Francis were used for retrieving relevant scientific papers. The reports from the official websites of different Australian organisations such as the Australian coral reef society, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Reef restoration and adaption program were used to extract statistics and the measures involved. The papers were screened using the methodology of Prisma to obtain high quality papers. Different search terms such as Coral Reefs, Coral Bleaching, Great Barrier Reef, Global warming, Australian Population, ecological significance, commercial significance, etc were used for extracting important research useful in conducting the research. Boolean operators namely AND, OR, IN, NOT , etc were used to logically frame the search terms and refine the parameters for conducting efficient research.
The vast amount of data along with the variable quality of the resources was a significant challenge encountered while researching on the coral reefs and coral bleaching. This was resolved by ensuring that only peer reviewed articles which were only 5 years old or less than it was selected for the study. In addition to this, the reports from different governmental organisations working towards preserving coral reefs were utilized for validating the data obtained from literature search. In addition to this, the quality of the extracted data was justified by using different quality check assessments such as the CASP tool. This helped in segregating the important parameters required for the study which will further refine the outcome of the study.

Discussion (approx. 700 words) (10 marks)

Causes of Coral Bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef

Increased temperature of the ocean water is the major cause of coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. The marine heatwave of 2020 witnessed a sudden increase in the temperature by 1.7? for the whole sea and 2? for the shallow coral areas of the reef. In addition to this, with increasing global warming and climate change, more heatwave episodes have been witnessed in the past few years. This has increased the thermal stress on the corals present in the barrier reefs and have provoked them to exclude the algae from their symbiotic association. With prevalent increase in the temperature of the ocean, they are not able to form this mutual association with the algae again and are not able to survive. This has highlighted one of the detrimental effects of global warming on the aquatic ecosystem (Webber, 2024).

Role of Global Warming in Coral Bleaching

With increase in industrialisation, the emission of greenhouse gases is increasing which are not able to escape the atmosphere of the Earth. As a result of this, the temperature of the surface of the Earth is also increasing rapidly. This has significantly changed the climate and has affected the aquatic ecosystem in different ways, one of them being the coral reefs. The increased temperature of the ocean waters impacts the normal functioning of the coral reefs.
It is assumed that coral reefs will be the first species that will become extinct due to excessive global warming. Coral reefs are found to follow a pseudo el nino pattern. The temperature is positively correlated with the ENSO index. Thus, if global warming continues to exceedingly increase, mass coral bleaching will occur, and they will not get appropriate time to recover from it (Thomas et al., 2021).

Impact of Coral Bleaching on Aquatic Ecosystem

The microscopic algae is the primary source of energy for corals. Due to coral bleaching, they are not able to obtain nutrients for increasing their growth. As a result of which, they growth rate is reduced and they become more susceptible to infections. These corals fall under the primary level of the aquatic food chain. With decreasing functionality and number of the corals, the aquatic food chain is disrupted which indirectly affects the energy source for other aquatic species. Also, coral reefs have been involved in removing the toxic substances from the ocean water by absorbing it. They have been termed a filter feeder. However, with coral bleaching, the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide is not maintained and there is an increase in the number of organic debris in the oceans. This makes it difficult for other aquatic species to survive (Saunders et al., 2022).

Social and Economic Impact of Coral Bleaching on the Australian Population

It is estimated that the Australian government receive around 6.4 billion dollars from the reef tourism. It holds a major share for providing employment to the Australian population. However, with coral bleaching, the reef tourism industry is heavily affected by it. There has been a significant decrease in the revenue and the employment opportunities associated with it. Coral reefs are of immense traditional value to the indigenous Australian community. With decrease in the vibrance of the coral reefs, there is a concern among these communities to preserve it as it is culturally very important for them. Also, coral reefs have found their use in the pharmaceutical industry. They have been used a source for manufacturing a variety of pharmaceutical compounds related to blood retention, preventing epistaxis, etc (Pratchett & Munday, 2022).

Measures to Reduce Coral Bleaching

There are different strategic measures adopted to reduce the phenomenon of coral bleaching. The Reef Blueprint 2030 aims to reduce the impact of climate change on the coral reefs. It has incorporated five strategic goals which involves enhancing the resilience of the corals, collaborating with traditional communities to protect the coral reefs and providing authority to different organisations to contribute towards reducing coral bleaching. Another strategy namely Reef 2050 aims to reduce the impact of human activities in Australia such as greenhouse emissions, gillnet fishing which are responsible for coral bleaching directly or indirectly. In addition to this, UNESCO has included the coral reefs of the great barrier reefs as a heritage site to preserve the coral reefs at an initial stage (Bayraktarov et al., 2021).

Implications (approx. 400 words) (6 marks)

Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) will have short-term and long-term consequences if not addressed quickly. In the short term, coral reefs are at risk of serious damage, resulting in loss of coral cover and marine biodiversity. This damage could impact local economies, particularly the fishing industry and businesses that depend on coral reef health. The collapse of these industries would not only cause financial losses but would also impact the health and culture of communities that depend on coral reef systems. Continued declines in health could disrupt marine populations and lead to a decline in global biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef plays a major role in climate regulation, sequestering carbon and influencing ocean and climate patterns. If coral reef ecosystems collapse, global climate change could worsen and have far-reaching effects on the planet. Improving water quality and reducing pollution in the region are important steps. This can be achieved through strict management of agriculture, wastewater management and coastal development. Collaboration with local communities is also crucial in saving money because their involvement ensures the long-term success of these projects. come back. Supporting research to develop climate-resilient corals is essential for coral reefs to adapt to environmental change (Rose et al., 2022). In addition, national policy should encourage industries that impact the Great Barrier Reef, such as tourism and fishing, to adopt sustainable practices that reduce their impacts on the reef. A broad definition of climate change. The development of international climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, is important to limit global warming and reduce the frequency and severity of coral bleaching events. Encouraging global practices, particularly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is critical to the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental sustainability is key to maintaining the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef and ensuring it continues to support marine biodiversity. Economic sustainability ensures the long-term success of coral reef-dependent industries and protects the livelihoods of future generations. Addressing coral bleaching is critical to maintaining the sustainability of these species and protecting the future of the Great Barrier Reef (Li et al., 2023).

Conclusions (approx. 200 words)(3 marks)

Based on the discussion and the evidence collected from the literature search, the following conclusions can be followed:
1.Climate change and global warming are the primary cause of coral bleaching in the great barrier reef. This makes the coral to break their mutual association with the algae and unable to obtain energy which makes them loose their vibrant colours and look as if they are bleached.
2.Coral bleaching has a significant ecological impact on the aquatic ecosystem. It disrupts the aquatic food chain and decreases the growth of the corals. In addition to this, they are not able to effectively filter the toxic contaminants from the seawater.
3.Coral bleaching has somehow impacted the tourism industry of Australia. It used to provide a major share of revenue to the Australian government. In addition to this, it also reduced the employment opportunities in the reef tourism industry.
4.The Australian government is proactively participating in reducing the coral bleaching by introducing different strategies such as the reef blueprint 2030, the reef strategy of 2050 and is also supporting the Paris convention agreement.

Links to the Australian Curriculum (approx. 150 words) (6 marks)

Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef also aligns directly with aspects of the Australian Curriculum (Science), particularly within Science Understanding, or SU.

Structure and function of living things (ACSSU111) this descriptor is relevant for Year 7 Biological Sciences, as it examines the structure in coral ecosystems and functions within marine environments such as the effect of environmental stressors (e.g. increased sea temperatures) on coral health, thereby causing them to bleach and die.

Year 10 Biological Sciences: "The role of environmental change in the survival of species (ACSSU176)" Next, understanding the impact of climate change on related marine species and reef ecosystems including how coral bleaching affects an area's surface temperature. Through this, the students can get detailed insights on how environmental change is affecting the ecosystem of coral reef.

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