Land-based Pollution Threats to Coral Reefs

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LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING _at_ YOUR DESKTOP
NOAA/NSTA Web Seminar Coral Ecosystems
Land-based Pollution Threats to Coral Reefs
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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Land-based Pollution Threats to Coral Reefs
Presented by Kathy Chaston
Coral Coastal Management Specialist
NOAAs National Ocean
Service Office of Ocean
Coastal Resource Management
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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Land-based pollution impacts
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Land-based pollution impacts
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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What is coral?
Plant
Both?
Animal

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Coral is as an animal with an algal symbiont
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• Reef building corals require
• Warm water 75 85 Fahrenheit degrees
• Light Shallow and sediment free waters
• Salinity 34 37 ppt

PCS
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Coral reef distribution
Source http//oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kit
s/corals/media/supp_coral05a.html
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• Lets pause for
• 2 questions

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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Known effects of land-based pollution
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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Coral reefs are valuable

• Biodiversity
• Fisheries
• Shoreline protection
• Pharmaceuticals
• Tourism
• Education
• Culture
• Social values

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Coral reefs rainforests of the sea

• How many species of fish live on reefs?
• 40
• 400
• 4000

PCS
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Coral reefs protect the shore-line
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Reefs are important economically

• Hawaii
• Net benefits 360 million year
• Overall asset value MHI 10 billion

Study by Cesar van Beukering 2004
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Many threats to Coral Reefs

• Key threats to US reefs
• Over-fishing
• Land-based sources of pollution
• Recreational overuse/misuse
• Lack of public awareness
• Climate change coral bleaching
• Disease

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• Lets pause for
• 2 questions

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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Land-based pollution impacts
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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Land and sea are connected
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Photos courtesy of Malama Maunalua
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Many sources of land-based pollution
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Runoff threatens coral reefs globally

• Models estimate that 22 of all coral reefs
  world-wide are at high or medium threat from
  inland pollution and soil erosion.
• (Bryant et al. 1998).

USGS
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Runoff impacts growth survival of hard coral
colonies
Bill Walsh DAR
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Any ideas how runoff impacts coral growth and
survival?

• Two volunteers?

1.
2.
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Sediments reduce light and decrease coral growth
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Sediments smother coral sloughing wastes energy
Photos courtesy of Bill Walsh
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• Runoff effects coral
• reproduction recruitment

• Coral settlement rates are near zero on
• sediment covered surfaces
• Sediment tolerance is lower in new recruits

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Runoff effects reef community structure
Honolua Bay, Maui
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• Lets pause for
• 2 questions

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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Land-based pollution impacts
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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Managing land-based pollution

• US Coral Reef Task Force formed
• Addressing key threats to reefs is a national
  priority
• Development of local action strategies
• More information http//coralreef.gov

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• Hawaiis Local Action Strategy
  
• A collaborative multi-agency and community
  approach to protect Hawaiis coral reefs

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Taking action to

• Reduce pollutant loads
• Increase understanding through scientific
  research monitoring
• Increase awareness

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Outline

• Coral biology
• Value of coral reefs
• Known effects of land-based pollution
• Management actions
• Teaching resources

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Lesson Plans Curriculum

• http//www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/education

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http//www.hawaiireef.net/teachers/teachers.shtml
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http//www.hawaiianatolls.org/teachers/NavChange.p
hp
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http//www.epa.gov/adopt/resources/
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Activities
http//www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_gu
ardian/welcome.html
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Educational materials

• International Year of the Reef
• http//www.iyor.org

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Other educational materials available from NOAA
and NSTA
Science Objects (4) Coral Reef Ecosystems Web
Seminar Archives (2) Todays and April
10s SciPack Coral Reef Ecosystems SciGuide
Coral Ecosystems Journal Articles
http//learningcenter.nsta.org
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Funding

• NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
• Program was established in 2002 to create
  environmentally literate students and teachers
  through education.
• http//www.csc.noaa.gov/psc/bwet.html
• http//www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/bwet/welcome.
  html

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Thank you
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NASA logo
Thanks to our presenter, Kathy Chaston and to
NOAA for sponsoring this program
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Elluminate logo
http//www.elluminate.com
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NLC screenshot
http//learningcenter.nsta.org
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National Science Teachers Association Gerry
Wheeler, Executive Director Frank Owens,
Associate Executive Director Conferences and
Programs Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director
e-Learning
NSTA Web Seminars Flavio Mendez, Director Jeff
Layman, Technical Coordinator
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