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The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. How Global Warming and Fishing are Threatening its Survival. Global Warming.

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The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

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  1. The MesoamericanBarrierReef How Global Warming and Fishing are Threatening its Survival

  2. Global Warming • The gradual increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere, believed to be due to the greenhouse effect, caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. - Global warming is a one of the main threats to the survival of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

  3. Coral Bleaching • Occurs when the algae the coral relies on for nutrients is separated from the reef • This ultimately leads to the death of the coral • The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef has undergone two major coral bleachings: • - 1995 – 10% of the coral colonies died • - 1997-97 – 48% of the coral colonies were damaged and/or dead

  4. Causes of Coral Bleaching • Increased exposure to UV radiation • Heavy rains flooding the reef • Exposure of the reef to chemicals or diseases • Dirt or sand covering the reef (impeding photosynthesis) • Excess ammonia and nitrates as a result of fertilizers and cleaning products entering the reef • With continuous coral bleaching, the reed will have little to no chance of survival

  5. Hurricane Mitch • The most powerful hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic Hurricane season • The deadliest hurricane since the Great Hurricane of 1780 • Resulted in massive rainfalls in Belize causing flooding • This flooding consequently flooded the reef

  6. Greenhouse Gases • Carbon dioxide is one of the main contributors to the greenhouse gases • Current CO₂ in atmosphere is 387 ppm • Estimated concentration of CO₂ in atmosphere by 2035 is 450 ppm – this would result in a “severe mass bleaching” of the reef and destroy its ability to grow

  7. Effects of Greenhouse Gases on the Reef • Greenhouse gases in atmosphere (carbon dioxide, methane) make the ocean around the reef warmer (greenhouse effect) and more acidic • This alters the ability of the reef to calcify – a process that helps the coral grow and strengthen

  8. Effect of Warmer Water Temperatures • Warmer water temperatures result in less effective photosynthesis • This results in an increase of products that poison the zooxanthellae (the algae coral relies on for nutrients) • The coral saves itself by releasing the zooxanthellae, but without the zooxanthellae the coral essentially starves to death

  9. Increased UV Radiation • Hinders the coral and algae from undergoing photosynthesis • Consequently – less energy available to the overall marine ecosystem

  10. Possible Consequences • If global warming continues at its current rate: • The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef will stop growing by 2050 • Numerous ecosystems will be lost • Increased ocean acidity will make it more difficult for the reef to form an outer shell (skeleton)

  11. Fishing • Fishing is threatening the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef • The overexploitation of different fishes by recreational and commercial fisheries is resulting in a rapid decline in fish populations

  12. Overfishing • Overfishing results in devastating impacts on the reef • It affects: - The reef’s ecological balance and biodiversity - Fish size and abundance - Species composition and genotype diversity - As well as the overall value of the coral reef ecosystem

  13. Impacts of Overfishing

  14. The Domino Effect • Fishing for a particular species not only affects that particular species, but also those directly and indirectly reliant on it • Ex: the grouper fish • The overfishing of grouper can lead to an increase of damselfish, which is a major food supply for the grouper fish. • Damselfish help create pockets in corals that are important for coral reef life • If the damselfish population isn’t controlled by natural predation, the algae which occupy the pockets can take over a reef, eventually killing it

  15. Ecosystem Overfishing

  16. Protection of the Reef • The Global Environment Facility has developed a project to conserve the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef: • Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS)

  17. This Project Entails... • “The global objective of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Project is to enhance protection of the ecologically unique and vulnerable marine ecosystems comprising the MBRS, by assisting the littoral states to strengthen and coordinate national policies, regulations and institutional arrangements for the conservation and sustainable use of this global public good. The GEF Project will, therefore, assist Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras to: (i) strengthen existing MPAs and establish new protected areas in transboundary locations; (ii) develop and implement a standardized regional monitoring and environmental information system for the MBRS; (iii) promote measures to reduce non-sustainable patterns of resource use in the MBRS, focusing initially on the fisheries and tourism sectors; (iv) increase local and national capacity for environmental management through education, information sharing and training; and (v) strengthen and coordinate national policies, regulations, and institutional arrangements for marine ecosystem conservation and sustainable use.” (MBRS-Project Terminal Evaluation Report — IW:LEARN. (n.d.). International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network — IW:LEARN. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://iwlearn.net/iw-projects/Fsp_112799467864/)

  18. To achieve these goals, the project consisted of four components: • 1. Marine Protected Areas – planning, management, and monitoring of Marine Protected Areas and institutional strengthening. • 2. Regional Environmental Information System – Creation and implementation of distributed Web-based Regional Environmental Information System and the establishment of a Synoptic Monitoring Program. • 3. Promoting Sustainable Use of the MBRS – promotion of sustainable fisheries, management and facilitation of low-impact coastal and marine tourism. • 4. Public Awareness and Environmental Education – Development of an environmental awareness campaign and formal and informal education.

  19. In Conclusion to the Project • “Threats to the MBRS will not be addressed without a significant commitment from the international community to assist the four countries to tackle some of these issues. These threats will not be negated by a single project, and continued support will have to be sought from a variety of sources to systematically address these threats. The strong foundation set by this project, however, provides a sound framework for future investments.” (MBRS-Project Terminal Evaluation Report — IW:LEARN. (n.d.). International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network — IW:LEARN. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://iwlearn.net/iw-projects/Fsp_112799467864/evaluations/project-terminal-evaluation-report/view)

  20. Bibliography • Belize Barrier Reef. (n.d.). Caribbean Islands. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://www.le-caribbean-islands.com/belize-barrier-reef.html • Belize Barrier Reef - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize_Barrier_Reef • Caribbean/Latin America CRSD Sites | Coral Reef Alliance. (n.d.). Welcome | Coral Reef Alliance. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://www.coral.org/where_we_work/caribbean • Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) — IW:LEARN. (n.d.). International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network — IW:LEARN. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://iwlearn.net/iw-projects/Fsp_112799467864 • Coral bleaching-Key text. (n.d.). Home - Australian Academy of Science . Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://www.science.org.au/nova/076/076key.htm • Global Warming Threatens Planet. (n.d.). Home | Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW). Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://www.elaw.org/book/export/html/1225 • Hurricane Mitch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Mitch • MBRS-Project Terminal Evaluation Report — IW:LEARN. (n.d.). International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network — IW:LEARN. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://iwlearn.net/iw-projects/Fsp_112799467864/evaluations/project-terminal-evaluation-report/view

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