Coral bleaching. No, this is not a hot new trend floating around the underwater world. It’s one of the many devastating effects of climate change.
Jason Buchheim, marine biologist, explained in his article how coral and zooxantheallae live in a symbiotic relationship together. The zooxanthellae (we’ll call them ZooPals for short. It’s easier to pronounce and they “make eating fun”!) aid coral in photosynthesis, providing carbon compounds for energy, calcification, and nutrients. It also provides photosynthetic pigments to the naturally translucent tissues of the coral. In return, the coral provides the ZooPals with a safe place to live and steady supply of carbon dioxide (par. 6).
Bleaching occurs when 60-90% of ZooPals are expelled due to coral being stressed. Like when people stress and get gray hair! Because ZooPals are the reason for coral's vibrant colors, when they are lost it appears bleached (par. 10).
Picture courtesy of marinebiology.org
Basically everything stresses these coral guys out: temperature change, UV radiation (Cough, cough. Ozone depletion.), sea water dilution from rain, change in pH from acid rain. What do all these have in common? They’re caused by climate change!
Occasionally, if the stress and bleaching isn't too severe, the coral will recover and return to its daily life, whatever that may be. Unfortunately, if the coral stress continues, ZooPal expelling continues. This decreases the chance of repopulating and the coral host dies (par. 11).
Courtesy of twistedsifter.com
Coral Reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. In Anup Shah, founder of the website Global Issues, explained in his article "Coral Reefs: Ecosystems Of Environmental And Human Value" how reefs also benefit humans. Shah states, "Reefs cover an area of over 280,000 km2 and support thousands of species in what many describe as the 'rainforests of the seas'" (Shah par. 1).
For example, they protect ours shorelines from the impact of waves. Sea levels are rising as it is; they can't afford more waves coming in eroding the shores. Because coral reefs are located in shallow water they break up and slow down these waves before they reach the shores.
Reefs also provide us with food and medicines. Where do you think those tropical fish you love to eat on vacations lived? The coral reefs! These fish would be a real hit on MTV Cribs. Not only are these fish tasty, they also provide many health benefits like heart healthy fish oil. Also, they are major tourist attraction (Shah par. 3). Cha-ching!
Courtesy of google.com
All these great benefits would be lost without the coral reefs. It would just be an eerie ghost town abandoned by Nemo and his friends.
Coral bleaching is often lost and neglected in all the climate change hubbub. Along with polar bears losing their icy homes, coral reefs slowly dying off is also a major environmental issue. Maybe the coral just needs to man up and quit being a bunch of pansies. But hey, they’re only coral!
Works Cited:
Buchheim, Jason.Coral Reef Bleaching. Odyssey Expeditions: Tropical Marine Biology
Voyages. marinebiology.org. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Gonzalez-Rivero, Manuel. "The White Spectres of Death Underwater."
New Scientist (2013): Vol. 220 Issue 2939, p14-41. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Before I get into my critique, I think that your title is great for catching the attention of the reader before they even know what your article is about. The persuasive purpose of this article is to show the significance of coral bleaching and the problems that result from it. This can be shown by the author’s use of ethos and pathos throughout the post. The second paragraph is a complete display of credibility by the author because she explains scientific information about coral bleaching in a way the reader can understand. It makes the reader feel like he/she knows what she is talking about. In the eighth paragraph Ms. Fannon appeals to our emotions by including the many important services provided by coral reefs. A specific example is when she evokes the readers’ emotions for personal well-being because coral reefs provide medicine. Ashley Fannon does accomplish her persuasive purpose because she wrote a blog that people are going to read. By getting people to read, she informs people of the significance regarding coral bleaching. I think you could make your post more persuasive by including a longer introduction. Your introduction is brief and to the point but it does include enough information to hook the reader. I enjoyed reading your blog post and hope mine will be just as good.
ReplyDeleteLike Garrett, I agree that the title is very compelling and witty. It has a great balance of wit and a preview of what the article will be about. From what I read, your article is meant to inform and create action. You first described how and why coral bleaches and why it is harmful. Your relaxed tone and references to T.V. commercials make this a very easy piece to read and learn from. Your logos and ethos come from the sources you have cited. I especially like that you understood the pieces well enough to paraphrase information instead of bulks of quotes.This shows nice credibility. Honestly, before I read this I would not care that coral reefs are stressing. But using the word "stress" makes the coral appear human like and we try and ease people's discomfort. Your article successfully informed me about the issue and added to the many reasons why I should be greener. I think because your article is so light, you could even add more information. Like I said before your tone made this a very easy read so I think that you could weave more information in without it becoming too heavy. Overall I really enjoyed your piece, good work!
ReplyDelete