Coasts KQ2 Flashcards
Describe how people use coastal areas for fisheries and aquaculture. (+’s and -‘s, eg.)
Fisheries are areas where fish are bred and raised to meet the growing demand for fish and 33% of the world’s fish supply comes from fisheries. Aquaculture is the farming of fish in cages or ponds close to coasts. For example, Ca Mau, Vietnam which produces shrimp cleared 60,000 Ha of mangroves to create shrimp ponds, and production in 2010 reached US$800 million. However, this has left the coastal areas prone to erosion from storm waves but there have been new methods of shrimp farming that leave half of the mangrove areas intact have been initiated to balance economic and environmental concerns.
Describe how people use coastal areas for housing and transportation.
Houses built near the coast allows for easy access to the water which is a mean of transport. For example, Kukup, Malaysia build stilt houses for communities and floating fish farms. They use boats and ferries for local transport and have thus become a tourist attraction which is now the main source of income for the community.
Describe how people use coastal areas for tourism and recreation.
People visit coastal areas as they are places of scenic beauty which is why tourism at coastal areas make up the most important component of international tourism. For example, Sentosa
Describe the global distribution and characteristics of coral reef ecosystem.
Coral reefs are found in shallow tropical and sub-tropical coastal waters between the tropic of Capricorn and the tropic of Cancer (30S - 30N). Some examples are the Caribbean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean, throughout the islands of South-East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.
How do coral reef ecosystems support natural ecosystems?
The three dimensional structure of coral reefs provide a habitat for reef fish species and they support more than 25% of the Earth’s marine fish species.
How do coral reef ecosystems help protect the coast?
Reefs absorb wave energy generated in open seas which leads to the waves that break on the reef having less energy to erode the coastal areas behind the reef.
How does the overcollection of corals contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
The overcollection of corals weakens coral reefs and disrupts the coral ecosystem, making them more vulnerable to threats. For example, Philippines.
How does the fishing method of dynamite blasting and the use of cyanide to stun fish contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
The explosion would destroy the coral reefs in the radius of the blast and the cyanide would kill the fish and the coral reefs as well. For example, Philippines and Indonesia.
How does the fishing method of spearfishing contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
Spearfishing leads to the selective depletion of fish population which disrupts the ecosystem’s food chain. For example, Belize Bonaire and the Netherlands.
How does the recreational use of the coast that is tourism contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
Tourism activities such as the sometimes unplanned coastal resorts lead to sewage waste discharged into water and oil spills from boats which stresses corals, and the anchoring of boasts may damage corals. For example, Sri Lanka.
How does the coastal development of reclamation and extension of land for coastal resorts and urban housing contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
Land is reclaimed and extended by dumping rock and sand onto reefs which suffocates and destroys the coral reefs. For example, Japan, Florida
How does climate change contribute to the destruction of coral reef ecosystems? (Examples needed)
Rapid changes in sea temperatures and sea levels may be faster than the ability of reefs and their associated life forms to adjust which can lead to coral bleaching which results in the loss of algae and thus the loss of the coral’s main source of food.
Describe the distribution of mangroves in the world. (Examples needed)
Mangroves are found along coasts of tropical and sub-tropical countries between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer (30S - 30N) such as the Malay Peninsular, Borneo, New Guinea, Northern Australia and Bangladesh.
What are 2 reasons for the distribution of mangroves in the world?
Mangroves have adapted to grow naturally in brackish environments and are normally found along sheltered low-lying coasts and river estuaries (the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream) with muddy and water logged land.
Name and explain 3 characteristics/adaptations that mangroves have in their leaves.
Mangroves have broad leaves with leathery texture which reduces transpiration, salt glands which some trees use to secrete excess salt, and the storing of excess salt in old leaves which fall off, removing the salt.
