Even though Maldives is facing the issues of increased CO2 levels and a rise in temperature, there is still a chance for the reefs to be spared. It appears that if the water continues to warm until stabilizing at a new higher temperature, the family composition inhabiting Maldives would shift to a community structure that is dominated by massives rather than the current branching corals. However, if the climate increases to the point where corals cannot continue their symbiotic relationships the future may look bleak. Even the massive coral families, while better survivors, are not immune to the effects of bleaching. During these severe El Niño events, the total numbers of coral reefs are decimated.
Losing these beautiful reefs wouldn't just be a loss for the organisms that live there; it would also have severe consequences on the economic stability of Maldives. These small islands are dependent on the income that tourism brings in and the main visitors are divers coming to experience the beauty of the clear waters and beautiful reefs. As the reefs begin to fade and dissolve, the diving industry will soon follow. In addition, the pristine white sandy beaches of Maldives will also be lost as the sea surface rises causing them to erode and disappear. 99% of the resorts in this area are located on these beaches, so losing them would be a further hit to tourism. Shore erosion is also a result of the changing coral structures because short, large, and strong corals are being favored. This means that there are fewer buffers on the shore against breaking waves. Another growing problem is that as the water rises, the saltwater intrusion will cause the contamination of groundwater which ultimately results in the loss of vegetation and an increase in the cost of fresh water. Maldives fisheries are at risk as well due to the warm waters driving fish like yellow fin tuna and skip jack further away, making them difficult to find and harder to catch.
I think your restoration piece should go under management and you could possibly put your management page last as a way to show what is being done to prevent that particular future from happening.
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog! It was interesting and informative. It's clear that you put a lot of time into it and that you know a lot about the subject. The technical explanations of ocean acidification and the electrical restoration project were especially well done. The only thing I'd suggest is to make sure you've covered all of the project requirements. I think you may need to add more primary sources from the class reading list, but you might want to check with the professors first because that requirement is somewhat unclear. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to create such an awesome blog!
ReplyDeleteI feel like this shouldn't be your last page or it should end on a broader note or a call to action. This end doesn't do justice to such a well-done blog.
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