When we got to Molokini we relized that there were two main ways in which humans have impacted of
the Molokini coral reefs, indirectly and directly. Coral reefs can live only in very
clear water. The large population centers near coasts has led to silting of
reefs, pollution by nutrients that lead to algal growth that smothers the
coral, and over fishing that has led to increase in number of predators that eat
corals. Warming of the ocean causes corals to sicken and die. Even the rising of
one degree in the average water temperature can hurt the coral. The warmer
water and more nutrients also encourages the growth of harmful algae on top of
the coral, which
kills it, because it blocks out the sun. This algae is usually eaten by fish, but because of over fishing,
there aren't enough fish left to eat all the algae. And the pollution we dump
in the ocean is just what the algae needs to grow and be healthy, which means
covering and eventually killing the coral reefs. When humans go fishing near a
reef the net will get the fish but also the coral they are near at the time of
being caught. Another way humans fish is with Cyanide which is a poison. The divers pour this poison on the
reef, which stuns the fish and kills the coral. Then they rip open the reef
with crowbars and catch the fish while they are too sick from the poison to
swim away. This poison kills 90% of the fish that live in the reef and the reef
is completely destroyed both by the poison and then by being ripped apart.
What do you think we can do to help Molokini with human impacts?
We can help Molokini by putting a restriction on fishing there to reduce overfishing.
ReplyDelete-Katie L. and Taylor R.