Threats/Issues and Concerns in the Coral Reef

Question 1

What are the Natural threats in the Coral Reef?

Answer 1

1. LOW TIDE AND SUNLIGHT -Environmental threats like low tides and
   sunlight can expose shallow corals to air and ultraviolet radiation, which
   can overheat and dry the coral’s tissues.
2. DISEASES -Occurs naturally in coral reefs causing mass mortality in corals,
   sea fans, and other marine organisms.
3. BLEACHING -Causing the changes in sea level and sea surface
   temperature.
4. PREDATORS -Fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs ,snails and sea stars
   and all prey on the soft inner tissues of coral polyps.
5. TYPHOON/HURRICANES AND STORMS -Unusually strong waves such as
   those from a hurricane -This can also lead to flatten the reef in minutes

Question 2

What are the human man made threats?

Answer 2

1. CLIMATE CHANGE -Increase the temperature of the earth’s air and
   oceans -ocean acidification
2. POLLUTION -Human’s cause many forms of pollution that harms the
   coral reefs;
   * raw sewage
   * trash that settles on coral
   * oil pollution can discrupt the reproductive success of corals
3. OVERFISHING/BLAST FISHING -People take more fish from the ocean
   than the ocean can produce -using explosive equipments in fishing
4. CARELESS RECREATION ACTIVITY -boat drop anchor or drive across
   shallow coral -abandoning fishing gear -kicking, touching, or standing on
   coral -untrained divers can trample fragile corals

Question 3

What is Coral Disease?

Answer 3

• Diseases that affect corals
• Injure the living tissues
• Resulting in the death of part or whole of the colony
• it is a change in tissue or skeletal structure

Question 4

Origin of the Coral Diseases

Answer 4

Viral or bacteria

Question 5

Black-band Disease

Answer 5

Easily identified
* It is a bacterial mat

• Consisting of cyanobacteria, sulfide-oxiding and sulfate – reducing bacteria
• Manifest as an expanding black-band over the surface of the coral

Question 6

Dark Spot Syndrome

Answer 6

• Appears as dark, often purple or black or brown circular or ring-shaped spots.

Question 7

Yellow-Band Disease

Answer 7

Attacks colonies of coral

Appears as large blotches or patches of bleached, yellow tissue

Question 8

Red Band Disease

Answer 8

• Bricked-red or dark brown in color
• Caused by two distinct species of Dothistroma :
  1.) D. septosporum 2.) D. Pini

Question 9

How do coral diseases spread?

Answer 9

Coral diseases can spread by multiple mechanisms (direct contact, water-borne, and/or vector-borne transmission) and the relative importance of those mechanisms may change over time and differ among regions and disease systems.

Question 10

Ways of Preventing Coral Disease

Answer 10

1.) Practice safe and responsible diving and
snorkeling
2.) Recycle and dispose of trash properly
3.) Minimize use of fertilizers
4.) Use environmentally – friendly modes of
transportation
5.) Reduce stormwater runoff