Insects and Coral Reef Destruction

Question 1

worldwide population declines of insect species

Answer 1

insect populations are rapidly all around the
world, threatening the stability of ecosystems

includes moths, butterflies, bees, beetles, and many
more

lack of research on this decline

Question 2

how extensive is this problem?

Answer 2

40% of insect species are declining

nearly one half of bee and ant species are threatened
with extinction

biomass of insects in a Puerto Rico rainforest has
fallen between 10- and 60-fold since 1970s

biomass in protected areas of Germany have declined
by 75%

Question 3

causes of insect decline

Answer 3

primarily caused by humans

deforestation, pesticides and insecticide usage

climate change

drought

pollution

invasive Species

Question 4

ecosystem services of insects

Answer 4

Plant pollination
-¾ of flowering plants pollinated by insects

waste disposal & nutrient recycling

Australian research program

industrial and medicinal products

Question 5

significance of insect decline

Answer 5

loss of bottom up control

loss of ecosystem services

economic damages

Question 6

next step related to insect decline

Answer 6

MORE RESEARCH

Seven impediments to invertebrate conservation:

• public denial
• political ignorance
• inaccurate cataloging
• lack of data
• marketing
• increased taxonomy
• citizen scientist opportunity

Question 7

importance of coral reefs

Answer 7

Primary protection

high level of production

top of a complex food chain

humankind:

• tourism- scuba diving, snorkeling excursions, resorts; contribute to reef management
• coastal protection- barrier against storm damage and flooding; deflection of tsunami waves

fishing

• jobs for locals
• economic contributions
• consumption

Question 8

blast fishing

Answer 8

the use of dynamite or other explosive in order to quickly kill or stun large schools of fish for easy collection

• not selectively killing
• 14% coral mortality per year

Question 9

effects of population growth on fishing

Answer 9

population growth results in a greater demand and competition

overfishing

more destructive and cost effective fishing methods
-blast fishing

Question 10

overfishing

Answer 10

species are being removed from the region at a rate

that does not allow natural repopulation

Question 11

species diversity of reefs

Answer 11

CASE STUDY: Species diversity and population measured on reefs
that were healthy, dead, and reef rubble
-reef rubble: dead, unstable pieces of coral

Species diversity:

• maintained in living and dead reefs
• reduced in rubble reefs

Species population:
-decrease in living space, protection, and food associated with dead
and rubble reefs
-disappearance of coral-polyp feeders
-decrease in resident and visiting species

Question 12

reef composition

Answer 12

reef building corals: framework

Algae: welds structure together

organisms that populate: fish, birds, marine reptiles,
mammals, invertebrates, and bacteria

dinoflagellate zooxanthellae:

• live symbiotically within coral
• photosynthetic activity is energy source for calcification
• low rates of migration or expulsion

Question 13

dinoflagellate zooxanthellae

Answer 13

live symbiotically within coral

photosynthetic activity is energy source for calcification

low rates of migration or expulsion

Question 14

coral bleaching

Answer 14

thermal tolerances to be exceeded every year for the
next few decades

coral mortality correlated with magnitude and longevity
of sea temperature increase

mass bleaching: reef systems lose almost all of their reef building
corals following bleaching events

Question 15

mass bleaching

Answer 15

reef systems lose almost all of their reef building

corals following bleaching events

Question 16

moving forward about coral reef destruction

Answer 16

raising awareness not enough

funding towards reef preservation and increased
enforcement of fishing regulations

support development of reef-related industries that
are profitable and healthy for corals
-more sustainable fisheries
-mariculture
-tourism