Impact of Pollution on Coral Health in Coastal Reef Ecosystems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajns.2043Keywords:
Pollution, Coral Health, Coastal Reef, EcosystemsAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of pollution on coral health in coastal reef ecosystems.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: The study found that pollutants such as agricultural runoff, sewage, and chemical contaminants can lead to coral stress and disease susceptibility. These pollutants often introduce excess nutrients into the water, triggering algal overgrowth that competes with corals for space and resources. Additionally, chemical contaminants like heavy metals can directly harm coral tissues, impairing their ability to grow and reproduce. Furthermore, increased sedimentation resulting from pollution can smother corals, hindering their ability to photosynthesize and obtain nutrients. Overall, the accumulation of pollutants in coastal reef ecosystems poses a severe threat to coral health, contributing to coral bleaching events, disease outbreaks, and ultimately, the degradation of reef biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Ecological resilience theory, threshold theory and community ecology theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of pollution on coral health in coastal reef ecosystems. Implement adaptive management strategies that prioritize monitoring and adaptive interventions to mitigate pollution impacts on coral reefs. Advocate for the enforcement of stricter regulations on industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and chemical pollutants to reduce pollution inputs into coastal reef ecosystems.
Downloads
References
Albert, S., Saunders, M. I., Roelfsema, C. M., Leon, J. X., Johnstone, E., Mackenzie, J. R., ... & Olesa, E. (2020). Winners and losers as mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems respond to sea-level rise in Solomon Islands. Environmental Research Letters, 15(9), 094026. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abac40
Al-Senafy, M. N., Al-Hassan, L. A., & Bishop, J. M. (2019). Status of coral reefs in the Kingdom of Bahrain: past, present, and future prospects. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 149, 110519. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110519
Aronson, R. B., & Precht, W. F. (2016). White-band disease and the changing face of Caribbean coral reefs. Hydrobiologia, 766(1), 39-58. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-015-2476-0
Aronson, R. B., Precht, W. F., & Toscano, M. A. (2014). The 4,000-year-old "˜great white'-reef myth: health and recovery of coral reefs of Florida and the Caribbean. Coral Reefs, 33(1), 21-27. DOI: 10.1007/s00338-013-1104-0
Burke, L., Reytar, K., Spalding, M., & Perry, A. (2011). Reefs at risk revisited. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC.
Cinner, J. E., Huchery, C., MacNeil, M. A., Graham, N. A., McClanahan, T. R., Maina, J., ... & Mora, C. (2013). Bright spots among the world's coral reefs. Nature, 535(7612), 416-419. DOI: 10.1038/nature18607
D'Angelo, C., & Wiedenmann, J. (2014). Impacts of nutrient enrichment on coral reefs: new perspectives and implications for coastal management and reef survival. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 7, 82-93.
de Silva, S. A. K., Withanage, G. S., Silva, M. W. N., & Pathiratne, A. (2020). Coastal habitat mapping and assessment of coral reef ecosystems using remote sensing and GIS in Sri Lanka. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 150, 110696. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110696
Fabricius, K. E. (2011). Factors determining the resilience of coral reefs to eutrophication: a review and conceptual model. In Coral reefs: an ecosystem in transition (pp. 493-505). Springer, Dordrecht.
Fabricius, K. E. (2011). Factors determining the resilience of coral reefs to eutrophication: a review and conceptual model. In Coral reefs: an ecosystem in transition (pp. 493-505). Springer, Dordrecht.
Francini-Filho, R. B., Coni, E. O. C., Meirelles, P. M., Amado-Filho, G. M., Thompson, F. L., Pereira-Filho, G. H., ... & Moura, R. L. (2018). Dynamics of coral reef benthic assemblages of the Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil: inferences on natural and anthropogenic drivers. PloS One, 13(3), e0190894. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190894
Garcia, E., & Johnson, F. (2020). Chemical pollutants and coral health in the Gulf of Mexico: A comprehensive assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 158, 110615.
Garcia, E., & Wang, L. (2022). Long-term effects of pollution on coral health in the Great Barrier Reef: Insights from historical data and coral cores. Coral Reefs, 41(1), 189-203
Graham, N. A., Jennings, S., MacNeil, M. A., Mouillot, D., & Wilson, S. K. (2018). Predicting climate-driven regime shifts versus rebound potential in coral reefs. Nature, 518(7537), 94-97.
Harmelin-Vivien, M. L., Adjeroud, M., & Payri, C. (2016). Coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses: a comparison of the ecological roles and functioning of these coastal habitats. In Coral reefs of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (pp. 113-145). Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-7499-4_5
Harris, D. L., Graham, N. A., & van Woesik, R. (2018). Green sea turtles agonistic interactions and behavioral change on coral reefs impacted by ocean warming and coral bleaching. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 135, 332-339. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.07.058
Hicks, C. C., Cohen, P. J., Graham, N. A., Nash, K. L., Allison, E. H., D'Lima, C., ... & Calvanese, V. (2019). Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies. Nature, 574(7776), 95-98. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1592-6
Holling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4, 1-23.
Hughes, T. P., Barnes, M. L., Bellwood, D. R., Cinner, J. E., Cumming, G. S., Jackson, J. B., ... & Scheffer, M. (2018). Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature, 546(7656), 82-90.
Jackson, J. B., Donovan, M. K., Cramer, K. L., & Lam, V. V. (2014). Status and trends of Caribbean coral reefs: 1970-2012. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Jones, A., & Smith, B. (2019). Nutrient runoff exacerbates coral bleaching in a coastal reef ecosystem: A field study in Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 587, 91-104.
Lee, H., & Kim, J. (2021). Interactive effects of multiple pollution stressors on coral health in the Pacific Islands: Field and laboratory investigations. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 542, 151483.
MacArthur, R. H., & Wilson, E. O. (1967). The theory of island biogeography. Princeton University Press.
McClanahan, T. R., Maina, J., & Pet-Soede, L. (2014). Effects of climate and seawater temperature variation on coral bleaching and mortality. Ecological Monographs, 74(4), 503-525. DOI: 10.1890/13-1781.1
Mcleod, E., Anthony, K. R., Mumby, P. J., Maynard, J., Beeden, R., Graham, N. A., ... & Marshall, P. A. (2019). The future of resilience-based management in coral reef ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management, 233, 291-301. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.030
Muthiga, N. A., & Szmant, A. M. (2017). Community-based conservation of coral reefs in a changing climate: Lessons from Kenya. Marine Policy, 84, 131-137. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.07.014
Muthiga, N. A., McClanahan, T. R., & Abelson, A. (2017). Coral responses to marine reserve replenishment and changes in their management in a Kenyan reef. Coral Reefs, 36(4), 1189-1203. DOI: 10.1007/s00338-017-1614-9
Obura, D. O. (2012). The diversity and biogeography of Western Indian Ocean reef-building corals. PLoS ONE, 7(9), e45013. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045013
Patel, C., & Brown, D. (2018). Effects of sedimentation on coral health in the Caribbean: A field study. Coral Reefs, 37(4), 1123-1135.
Razak, T. B. A., Shazili, N. A. M., Harith, A. R., & Masud, A. A. (2021). Assessment of coral reef benthic habitats in southwest Madagascar using high-resolution satellite images and object-based image analysis. Geocarto International, 1-22. DOI: 10.1080/10106049.2021.1883251
Riegl, B. M., & Purkis, S. J. (2012). Coral reefs of the Gulf: adaptation to climatic extremes in the world's hottest sea. In Coral reefs of the Gulf: adaptation to climatic extremes (pp. 1-10). Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-3008-3_1
Rogers, C. S. (2013). Responses of coral reefs and reef organisms to sedimentation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 96, 113-121.
Sheppard, C. (2012). Coral reefs of the Indian Ocean: Their ecology and conservation. Oxford University Press.
Smith, G., & Johnson, H. (2018). Effects of pollution on coral health in the Red Sea: A water quality monitoring and coral assessment study. Marine Environmental Research, 135, 104-115.
Suding, K. N., Gross, K. L., & Houseman, G. R. (2004). Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 19(1), 46-53.
Torres, W. I., Milne, A., & Muller-Karger, F. E. (2018). Reef health and seawater temperature variability in the Cuban archipelago: monitoring a changing environment. Remote Sensing, 10(6), 899. DOI: 10.3390/rs10060899
Wang, X., & Chen, Y. (2019). Impacts of coastal development on coral health in the South China Sea: A remote sensing and field study. Remote Sensing of Environment, 234, 111456.
Yamano, H., Sugihara, K., & Nomura, K. (2011). Rapid poleward range expansion of tropical reef corals in response to rising sea surface temperatures. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(4), L04601. DOI: 10.1029/2010GL046474
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Vincent Ajwang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
