 Diverse, unique and complex underwater

ecosystems
 Rainforest of the sea
 Animals known as coral polyp- largest class of
organisms within the phylum Cnidaria
 Zooxanthellae-microscopic symbiotic algae within
their gastro dermal cells
 Coral provides the algae with a protected
environment and the compounds necessary for
photosynthesis
 Algae produce Oxygen, provides nutrition and help
the coral to remove wastes
 Occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface,
yet provide a home for 25% of all marine species
including fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans,
echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other
cnidarians
 Deliver ecosystem services to tourism, fisheries and
shoreline protection
 Coral reefs and their associated communities of sea
grasses, mangroves and mudflats are sensitive
indicators of water quality and the ecological
integrity of the ecosystem
 Grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and
agitated waters
 Estimated to cover 284,300 km2 area
 Exist both in temperate and tropical waters
 Most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical
waters
 Deep water and cold water corals exist on smaller
scales in other areas
 Shallow-water reefs form only in a zone extending
from 30° N to 30° S of the equator
 Requires temperature range 18°C-290 C for
extended periods of time
 Require very salty (saline) water ranging from 32 to
42 parts per thousand
 Require clear water to permit high light penetration
 Low inorganic nutrient concentrations (Oligotrophic
water)
 Little or no sedimentation
 Vigorous water motion
 Natural
 Anthropogenic

 Local
 Global
 Intense storms
 El Niño
 Disease
 Volcanic eruption
 Predator population explosion
 Natural stream & river run-off
 Exceptionally low tide
 Plate movements ,earthquakes and tsunami
 Contact with seaweed and competition
 Thermal effluents  Introduced species
 Sewage discharges &  Water pollution
agricultural run-off  Coral mining
 Mechanical damages  Tourism
to reef  Coastal development
 Marine debris  Harbour and fisheries
 Sedimentation  Destruction of
 Destructive resource mangroves & sea
extraction practice grass ecosystems
 Blast fishing  Population pressure
 Cyanide fishing  Oil spill
 Mineral exploration
 Global warming
 Sea level rise
 Ocean acidification
 Ozone depletion
 FACTORS  IMPACTS
 Sea temperature  Coral bleaching
 Sea level rise  Destruction of coral reef
 Ocean acidification
 Storms and rainfall
 El Niño
 Global warming
 Ocean acidification

 Sea level rise

 Intense storms and rainfall

 El Nino
 Observed century scale rise in the average
temperature of the earth’s climate system
 Caused by increased greenhouse gas concentration
 Greenhouse gases-CO2,CH4,N2O,H2O,O3,CFC
 Largest drivers-CO2, fossil fuel combustion, cement
production, land use changes like deforestation
 El nino
 Temperature increase of 0.80 C
 Climate system responds to external forcings
 Leads to sea level rise, glacier melt
 Coral bleaching
 Changing the timing of reproduction
 Reduced reproduction rate
 Slower growth
 More prone to diseases
 Increase in CO2 concentration
 Affects the CaCO3 skeleton formation
 pH change affects coral
 Naturally occuring ozone depleting chemicals
 Nitrogen from soils & ocean, water vapour, Cl from ocean
 Man made ozone depletion chemicals
 CFCs, jet aircraft exhausts, other industrial chemical
 Increased UV exposure
 Destruction of DNA & RNA in coral tissue,
decreased growth, decreased rate of calcification,
delay in spawning time, colour change