Coasts GW2 Flashcards
Explain with example, how fisheries and aquaculture impact the coastal environment.
Fisheries are areas where fishes are farmed and bred to meet the increasing demand for fish, while aquaculture refers to breeding fish in cages and ponds near coastal areas. For example, China, India and Vietnam are the three countries that produce the most amounts of aquaculture. In Ca Mau, Vietnam, nearly 60000 hectares of mangroves were cleared for building materials and land space in order to construct shrimp farms. Shrimp production was valued at about USD $800 million in 2010. This harms the coastal environment as the decrease in mangroves leave coastal areas vulnerable to coastal erosion, as there will no longer be mangrove roots to stabilise the coastline and anchor the soil.
Explain with example how housing and transportation affects coastal environments.
Housing refers to buildings that people live in, while transportation refers to the movement of goods and people from one place to another. For example, in Kukup, Malaysia, there are plenty of floating fish farms selling shrimp and other fish, and boats are a common mode of transportation among fishermen to facilitate their daily fishing activities. This harms the coastal environment because the use of boats and presence of fish farms can result in more waste in the ocean waters, which can lead to water pollution and harm marine life. Trash washed up to the shore can also carry chemical pollutants and threaten physical habitats.
Explain with example, how tourism and recreation affects the coastal environment.
Tourism refers to the temporary movement of tourists for leisure and recreational purposes, while recreation refers to activities done during one’s free time for enjoyment. For example, in Sentosa, Singapore, there are recreational facilities like ONE15 Marina Club, and harbours with wharfs. There is a hotel and museum built off the coast, as well as the Sentosa Boardwalk. This harms the coastal environment as the presence of human activities will result in more waste and trash being littered onto the coastal environment, which leads to pollution. The waste being brought into the sea by backwash of waves can sink and harm marine life in the ocean waters.
Explain the environmental conditions coral reefs need for survival.
Coral reefs are structures that develop at, or slightly below, the sea level on the seabed, and are made up of thousands of coral polyps that secrete rock-like deposits of calcium carbonate to protect the soft and delicate body of the coral polyp.
- low turbidity water to allow sufficient sunlight to penetrate. clear, saline water between 10m to 60m deep to allow sufficient sunlight to penetrate and trigger algae growth.
- low turbidity water to allow sufficient sunlight to penetrate.
- temperature of the water should be 17 to 18 degrees celsius
- average seawater salinity of 34-37 parts / 1000 and moderate water movement to ensure corals can receive sufficient oxygen.
- low sedimentation so corals will not suffocate.
Explain the value of coral reefs.
- provide jobs and food through fisheries supported by coral reefs
- a major ecotourism attraction due to snorkelling and scuba diving
- supports biodiversity as coral reefs are breeding grounds for marine life.
- provide coastal protection as they slow down waves and absorb wave energy, hence protecting the coast against erosion and protecting human activities on the coast from being destroyed.
- used as building material as coral rubble are used as a building material for cement
- used for pharmaceuticals and aquarium trade.
Explain how overcollection of corals affects coral reefs.
One pressure on coral reefs is the overcollection of corals. People collect corals for personal or commercial use, such as using coral rubble as a building material for cement. An example of where this occurs is in the Philippines. This harms coral reefs as corals are weakened and the ecosystem is disrupted, hence leaving corals vulnerable to threats.
Describe the environmental conditions affecting growth of mangroves.
Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants (or subtropical plants) that grow in conditions which most plants cannot.
They are grown in high turbidity water, and found in muddy, waterlogged soil and subtropical climates.
Typically found along sheltered coasts and river estuaries with muddy and waterlogged land
Sheltered coasts experience low energy waves which allow sediments to accumulate
Sediments such as mud and plant litter provide mangroves with nutrients
Explain the adaptations mangroves have for survival.
Prop Roots: Anchors the trees firmly in soft, muddy, ensuring that the tree will not be uprooted or swept away by the strong waves.
Aerial Roots: Has the same function as Prop Roots, as well as to take oxygen during parts of the day when they are not submerged.
Kneed Roots: To help trap soil between the roots, which is essential for plant growth.
Excess Salt Secretors: Secretes/excretes it through the underside of its leaves
Javelin-shaped fruits: To pierce the soft mud to germinate and grow into a sapling immediately
Bouyant Fruits: To allow it to float away and germinate in other coastal areas
Drip tips in Leaves: To allow rainwater to be drained easily so that the leaves stay light and do not decompose
Thick and leathery leaves: To reduce excess transpiration due to the Tropical Climate.
Colourful flowers: To attract insects to pollinate them
Explain the value of mangroves.
- stabilising shorelines: dense root network creates friction which protects coastal areas from wave energy and erosion; absorbs force of storms, reducing storm impact
- mangrove habitats serve as a breeding ground and habitat for marine creatures e.g. barnacles, oysters and sponges anchor onto the hazard surfaces of aerial roots
- aquaculture: mangroves used in reading aquatic fauna for food e.g. fish, crab, shrimp
- used as fuel wood, production of charcoal
- cultural: in pre-colonial times they were home to sea-faring populations e.g. Orang Seletar
- provides food for animals and humans e.g. fruits of some mangroves can be squeezed for juice
Explain with example, how clearing of mangroves affect them.
Mangroves are cleared for fuel wood and charcoal, particularly in areas of low technology and income. An example of where this occurs is in Indonesia. The clearance of mangroves leaves the coastline vulnerable to coastal erosion as the lack of dense network of roots of mangroves will cause the shoreline to be unstabilised.
Describe the global distribution of coral reefs
It can be found in the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere and in the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere.
Sheltered coasts.
Describe the global distribution of mangroves
Found within the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. However, they can also be found further north and south of these tropics such as Northern Australia and New Guinea.
Sheltered coasts.
Explain with example, how pollution puts pressure on corals.
Excess fertilisers and chemicals from agricultural land, oils and heavy metals from untreated industrial waste, and sewage from urban areas are causes of pollution. An example of where this occurs is in the Philippines. This harms coral reefs as the turbid and murky water prevent sufficient sunlight from reaching the corals, hence reducing algae photosynthesis.
Explain with example, how coastal development puts pressure on corals.
Coastal development refers to the reclamation and extension of land, as well as expansion of coastal resorts, which results in rocks, sand, sediments and waste being deposited in the ocean waters. An example where this is occurring is in Japan and Florida. This harms coral reefs as corals are suffocated by the sedimentation deposited into the waters and destroyed.
Explain with example, how fishing methods put pressure on corals.
Fishing methods include spearfishing, dynamite blasting and cyanide fishing to stun fish. An example of where this is occurring is in Belize Bonaire, Netherlands, and Philippines, Indonesia. This harms corals as corals are weakened and destroyed by dynamite blasts, poisoned by chemical clouds from cyanide fishing, and the ecosystem is disrupted due to depletion of fish population.
