One of the most evident examples of climate change seen within nature can be seen the coral reefs. Coral reefs are one of the most divers ecosystems on earth, but are also impacted greatly by climate change. An excellent example of these can be seen by examining the dying coral in Great Barrier Reef. There have been multiple reports on the amount of dead coral, and these reported amounts depend on the regions reported, and vary from 35-93% of the coral is dead. Looking at the entire Great Barrier Reef as an entire system, over 22% of the reef has died, and this percentage is expected to rise further. Marine biologist and climate scientist have nailed down the cause of dying coral reefs to multiple causes, but the two most significant causes have been nailed down to the increase in ocean water temperatures, and the rise of ocean water levels. The NASA data analysis have calculated that global temperatures have increased by a global average of 0.8 ℃ since 1880 resulting in average ocean temperatures to rise. Due to this increase of global temperature, and a change of weather patterns, the polar ice caps have been melting at a rapid rate and have decreased significantly in size. This has caused the average ocean water levels to rise, which in turn increasing the level water above the coral reefs. When the water level increases above the coral reefs, less sunlight makes it down to the coral reef ecosystem. This greatly impacts the coral reef ecosystem, because much of this ecosystem is dependent on sunlight in the form of photosynthesis. Not only does warmer waters directly impact the health of the coral reefs, but it also increases the rate that algae can grow. A common example of rapid growing algae can be seen in the form of Red Tides. Red tides primarily consist of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates, which thrive in warm waters that are rich in nitrogen. These dinoflagellates are known to
One of the most evident examples of climate change seen within nature can be seen the coral reefs. Coral reefs are one of the most divers ecosystems on earth, but are also impacted greatly by climate change. An excellent example of these can be seen by examining the dying coral in Great Barrier Reef. There have been multiple reports on the amount of dead coral, and these reported amounts depend on the regions reported, and vary from 35-93% of the coral is dead. Looking at the entire Great Barrier Reef as an entire system, over 22% of the reef has died, and this percentage is expected to rise further. Marine biologist and climate scientist have nailed down the cause of dying coral reefs to multiple causes, but the two most significant causes have been nailed down to the increase in ocean water temperatures, and the rise of ocean water levels. The NASA data analysis have calculated that global temperatures have increased by a global average of 0.8 ℃ since 1880 resulting in average ocean temperatures to rise. Due to this increase of global temperature, and a change of weather patterns, the polar ice caps have been melting at a rapid rate and have decreased significantly in size. This has caused the average ocean water levels to rise, which in turn increasing the level water above the coral reefs. When the water level increases above the coral reefs, less sunlight makes it down to the coral reef ecosystem. This greatly impacts the coral reef ecosystem, because much of this ecosystem is dependent on sunlight in the form of photosynthesis. Not only does warmer waters directly impact the health of the coral reefs, but it also increases the rate that algae can grow. A common example of rapid growing algae can be seen in the form of Red Tides. Red tides primarily consist of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates, which thrive in warm waters that are rich in nitrogen. These dinoflagellates are known to