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• The article discusses the effects of climate change on coral reefs.
• It outlines the causes of coral reef degradation, including overfishing, ocean acidification and warming temperatures.
• It outlines potential solutions to these problems, such as reducing fishing pressure, increasing water quality management and restoring damaged reefs.

Introduction

This article focuses on the effects of climate change on coral reefs and explores potential solutions to help preserve them.

Causes of Coral Reef Degradation

Coral reefs are fragile ecosystems that are being degraded by a variety of human activities. Overfishing has led to a decrease in fish populations that provide vital ecological services for coral reef systems such as controlling algae growth. Ocean acidification is another cause of coral reef degradation; it occurs when carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere and reacts with seawater causing its pH level to drop making it more acidic which can reduce the rate at which corals build their skeletons leading to their demise. Warming temperatures also contribute to coral bleaching; this happens when warm temperatures cause corals to expel their symbiotic algae leaving them without food or colour resulting in death within days or weeks.

Potential Solutions

Reducing fishing pressure would help replenish fish populations providing important ecosystem services for coral reef systems. Increasing water quality management through sewage treatment, runoff reduction and coastal development regulations could also help protect these fragile ecosystems from further damage caused by human activities such as sedimentation and nutrient pollution. Another solution proposed is restoring damaged reefs by replanting corals using growing techniques such as fragmentation or micro-fragmentation, which involves breaking off small pieces of healthy corals and planting them into damaged areas where they can grow back into larger colonies over time.

Conclusion

Coral reefs are vulnerable ecosystems that have been heavily impacted by human activities including overfishing, ocean acidification and warming temperatures; however there are potential solutions available that could help restore these delicate environments if implemented effectively.

References

Eakin C., Hoegh-Guldberg O., & Skirving W (2010). Global assessment of coral bleaching: temporal and spatial patterns, 1975-2004 [PDF]. Marine Geology , 270(1–4), 3–17