Blue+Coral-future

By Elizabeth Poon 10C

==== Although blue coral is often considered common in the areas it is found, like most coral, it is threatened by the [|pollution] and [|overfishing] which often causes the destruction of delicate reef environments. In addition, this coral is also harvested for trade. Made into jewelry or used in aquariums, blue coral was harvested extensively in the late 1980s throughout most of the 1990s. Now may colonies are found in protected areas of the ocean, which limits the destruction of their environments, but many are still harvested for trade. Other animals that are related are shark,lungfish and stingray. ====

The following report shows how blue coral will change in the future.

 * == Kingdom == || == Animalia == ||
 * == Phylum == || == Cnidaria == ||
 * == Class == || == Anthozoa == ||
 * == Subclass: == || == Octocorallia == ||
 * == Order: == || == Kelioporacea == ||
 * == Family: == || == Kelioporidae == ||
 * == Genus: == || == Keliopora == ||
 * == Species: == || == K. coerulea == ||

__ Habitat: __
In 1000 years of time, the problem of global warming and rise of sea level will be very serious and therefore making many species of corals to be extinct. Corals tend to live in warmer temperatures, but if the problem of global warming is serious, Australia and the Indo West Pacific will not be a suitable habitat anymore. Coral can be then found in places where the temperature is stable such as near the North and South Pole. ** Climate ** The temperature for the corals must be a warm temperature (ocean temperatures 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit) and therefore areas near the North and South Pole are suitable for the Pink Coral.

** Geographical features ** Coral will be scattered throughout the tropical and subtropical areas around the North and South Pole, generally within 30°N and 30°S latitudes, the sea level will be to depths of approximately 8000m.

** Structural adaption 1 **
A structure adaption can be seen on the Pink Coral’s colour. The Pink Coral is more of a tropical colour due to the heat brought by Global warming. The 2 most important facts that cause the coral to be in a pink colour are that the rise in temperature and pollutants. In modern times, the colour is able to determine the maturity and age of the coral, but in the future, it is unable to determine the life span of the coral by looking at the colour of coral. A process of bleaching (the colour of coral turns white) has stopped due to the corals in the future has a stronger skeleton body and can easily adapt to the temperature.

Structural adaptation 2
The tentacles will be larger and sharper. This benefits the Pink coral for eating and defensing. If the coral has larger tentacles they will be able to get more food into their mouth which leads into the stomach cavity. Longitudinal membranes called mesenteries partition the stomach cavity. Mesenteries increase the surface area of the stomach cavity which helps in digestion. The edges of the mesenteries in reef-building corals support long mobile filaments. These mesentery filaments protrudes through the mouth to capture food. Sharper tentacles helps to defense when the coral is in a dangerous situation as they may be able to sting the enemies.

Behavioral adaptation 1
A behavioral adaptation of the Pink Coral is that it is sensitive to the ocean’s acidity. In addition to climate change effects, the increase of carbon dioxide in atmosphere increases the ocean’s acidity. In tradition, corals removed excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, the amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are far too much that the corals can remove, and the oceans are becoming more acidic as higher amounts of carbon dioxide dissolve into the water. Increasing acidity reduces corals' ability to construct their calcium carbonate skeletons.

Physiological/Behavioral adaptation 2
The Pink Coral is able to regenerate nutrients on its own. Due to the rise of sea level, the sunlight cannot penetrate through water and into the Pink Coral. In modern times, coral absorbs sunlight for nutrients and this is one of the process in photosynthesis. As in the future, the coral stops bleaching and therefore the process in the photosynthesis will be changed. Not only the reason lack of sunlight is a life threat to the corals, but also the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the pollution from chemicals can lead to serious diseases for corals. Therefore, coral has had a new function-to regenerate nutrients on its own. This enables the Pink Coral to have a stronger body and to live longer. They can regenerate nutrients to prevent diseases.

Physiological adaptation 2
In the future, the Pink Coral will have feet to move. In modern times, Coral polyps are stuck to the ground once they are born and they will spend their lifetime in the same place. But, in the future, they have feet to let them move. This can help them for defensing and they can have more opportunities to find food and partners. At night, they will move under the rocks and in the daytime, they can move around.

Rise of Sea level
Over the past century, most of the world’s mountain glaciers and the ice sheets in both Greenland and Antarctica have lost mass. Retreat of this ice occurs when the mass balance (the difference between accumulation of ice in the winter versus ablation or melting in the summer) is negative such that more ice melts each year than is replaced. By affecting the temperature and precipitation of a particular area, both of which are key factors in the ability of a glacier to replenish its volume of ice, climate change affects the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. When the temperature exceeds a particular level or warm temperatures last for a long enough period, and there is insufficient precipitation, glaciers and ice sheets will lose mass.

Global warming
The threat of Global warming has been increasing due to human’s activities. The amount of greenhouse gases has been increasing and scientists believe that the global warming issue will continue to deteriorate.

To sum up, the global warming and rise of sea level will have a massive impact on the ocean and affecting coral’s life. The coral has to overcome issues such as pollution from human activities to survive. Therefore, the Pink Coral is created.

References:
Sorauf, J.E., and M. Savarese. 1995. A Lower Cambrian Coral from South Australia. Palaeontology 38:757-770.

Tynan, M.C. 1983. Coral-Like Microfossils from the Lower Cambrian of California, Journal of Paleontology 57(6):1188-1211. Andrew Baird, Jeffrey A. Maynard, 2008. Coral adaptation in the face of climate change. Science 320 (5874), 315.

Climate Change(2008), retrieved in 2010 Oct, 10 []