Reef Fish

Photograph courtesy of "Ocean Acidification: Beyond the Carbon Debate"

Since the reef population is declining, this also is the case for the reef fish. The affects of the coral reefs being bleached and dying, only further weakens the fishes strength who live and feed off the coral reefs to begin with. The affect human pollution, global warming, and natural causes has on the oceans only reflects negatively onto the coral reef population, and then further in depth to the fish populace.

“Increases in seawater temperature affect a fish's ability to obtain sufficient oxygen because warmer temperatures increase the amount of oxygen required for metabolism” (1). Even though, there is nothing people can do about natural disasters, people can make a difference by learning what is best for the environment. The idea of water temperatures rising are due to global warming being caused by humans, and the fact of natural disasters randomly taking place. Furthermore, “if reef fishes cannot acclimate or adapt to episodes of elevated water temperature and reduced dissolved oxygen, then occurrences of die-off events will increase with global warming” (1). Acclimation plays a significant survival trait that the reef fish need to learn to cope with. Times certainly can be difficult causing the risk of death in many of the fish, but creating an altered atmosphere that the fish should rapidly coexist with is a problematic issue to meet. However, with the frequent die-off events many fish have tragically resulted in destruction. The “increasing water temperatures have caused extensive coral mortality leading to rapid and broad scale destruction of coral reefs. This climate-induced habitat loss has had a significant effect on reef-fish communities, including local extinctions” (1). Extinction is a warning sign for severe damage, and loss. With the dominance of human activity, slowly our world is diminishing starting with the creatures. If people keep up at this rate, soon enough our world will be missing its naturalistic properties and pure beauty. 

Photograph courtesy of "Coral Spawn Induces Mass Fish Die-off"

In the Cocos Islands a study was composed and devastating facts were revealed. For instance, “die-off events typically occur when environmental conditions exceed the physiological tolerances of the inhabiting organisms. In this case, >592 fishes from at least 11 species, and several other taxa (e.g. octopus and crabs), died in the lagoon at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands during a series of die-off events in the summer of 2007–2008 and in April 2009” (1). This overwhelming research shows how important it is for our population to try and understand the factors present within global warming. Environmental conditions can be a plethora of issues, and two of those are the concerns of global warming and natural disasters. People are a main influence towards the advance of global warming, which unfortunately is taking over large portions of our environments. Additionally, “recent laboratory trials have found that slight increases in seawater temperature can reduce growth and even lead to death in some coral-reef fishes” (1). Heat is ultimately a developmental risk that many of the coral-reef fishes have to encounter, and sometimes it can be fatal. Without having the large amount of species in the world, shows how our populations’ carelessness is dreadfully taking a toll on our surroundings. Nature lives for the environment, and the cycle of life is an everlasting outcome for everything. However, if there is no possible chance for animals to even exist, then that cycle of life will be absent and nonexistent. Nature would then be unknown, and something that is not cherished.

Photograph courtesy of "Pollutants and Green House Gas Emissions Produced by Tourism Life Cycle..."

Photograph courtesy of "Bedreigingen Van Koraalriffen" 

What can further be connected to the issue of fish loss is the relevance of creating offspring to keep that specific species growing. Hence, “species inhabiting low-latitude reefs appear most at risk due to a limited scope for adaptation to rising sea temperatures because they are unable to receive heat-tolerant offspring from warmer regions” (1). Without the correct nutrients obviously any type of offspring cannot thrive. Due to the circumstances that society has produced, some of these offspring are unable be born or even witness the habitat that could be beneficial to that particular type of creature overall.

Photograph courtesy of "Coral in Jeopardy"

Without a doubt, a small accomplishment could slowly shape our world into what is best, minus our beautiful oceans and habitats being consumed by saddening exploitations.

"Bedreigingen Van Koraalrifen." Koraalriffen. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Coral in Jeopardy." Help Mary Save Coral. Green Team, 2007. Web.

Graeber, Shane. "Coral Spawn Induces Mass Fish Die-off." Advanced Aquarist. N.p., 14 June 2012. Web.

1. Hobbs, J. P.A., and C. A. McDonald. "Increased Seawater Temperature and Decreased Dissolved Oxygen Triggers Fish Kill at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean." Journal of Fish Biology 77.6 (2010): 1219-229. Web of Science. Web.

Kirshenabum, Sheril. "Ocean Acidification: Beyond the Carbon Debate." Ocean Acidification:Beyond the Carbon Debate. N.p., 14 Sept. 2011. Web.

Serrano-Bernardo, Fransisco, Luigi Bruzzi, Enrique Toscano, and Jose Rosua-Campos. "Pollutants and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Produced by Tourism Life Cycle: Possible Solutions to Reduce Emissions and to Introduce Adaptation Measures."Intech. N.p., 22 Aug. 2012. Web.