Importance of Coral Reefs and Mangroves

Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Corals are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps are like tiny sea anemones, to which they are closely related. But unlike sea anemones, coral polyps secrete hard carbonate exoskeletons which support and protect their bodies. Reefs grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and agitated waters.
Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than one tenth of one percent of the world's ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they provide a home for twenty-five percent of all marine species, including fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians. Paradoxically, coral reefs flourish even though they are surrounded by ocean waters that provide few nutrients. They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters, but deep water and cold water corals also exist on smaller scales in other areas.

Coral reefs deliver ecosystem services to tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection. The annual global economic value of coral reefs has been estimated at $US375 billion. However, coral reefs are fragile ecosystems, partly because they are very sensitive to water temperature. They are under threat from climate change, ocean acidification, blast fishing, cyanide fishing for aquarium fish, overuse of reef resources, and harmful land-use practices, including urban and agricultural runoff and water pollution, which can harm reefs by encouraging excess algae growth.


IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS

Fisheries

Reefs provide habitat for important recreational and subsistence fisheries

Shoreline Protection

 Reefs prevent loss of life and property by protecting shorelines

Pharmaceuticals

Reefs are considered "medicine cabinets" of the future!

Tourism

Reefs attract ecotourism and much needed currency for local economies

Education

Reefs are "living laboratories" for scientists and students.

WHAT ARE MANGROVES?

The term 'mangrove', is used in the broad sense either to refer to the highly adapted plants found in tropical intertidal forest communities or the ecosystem itself. The term 'mangrove' may have been derived from a combination of the Malay word 'manggi-manggi', for a type of mangrove tree (Avicennia) and the Arabic 'el gurm', for the same, as 'mang-gurm'. As a word, it can be used to refer to a species, plant, forest or community!

Ecological & Economical importance of mangroves

      Ecological significance: 

              Mangrove forests are among the most productive terrestrial eco systems and are natural and are a renewable        resource. Mangroves are not a marvel just for their adaptations but also for the significant role they play in our        environment.

• Mangrove ecosystem act as Buffer Zone between the land and sea.
• Mangroves protect the coast against erosion due to wind, waves, water currents and protect coral reefs, sea-grass bed and shipping lanes against siltation. They are also known to absorb pollutants. Mangroves host a number of threatened or endangered species, different animal species- mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird- offer nutrients to the marine food web and provide spawning grounds to a variety of fish and shellfish, including several commercial species
• It has been suggested that the large loss of life (300,000 to 500,000 lives) in Bangladesh during the 1970 typhoon was partly due to the fact that many of the mangrove swamps protecting those populated coastal regions had been removed and replaced by rice paddies. 
• In mangrove areas water level is shallow, warm water temperatures due to various decaying activities, water current is slow (nearly stagnant) hence ideal place for growing of sea algae and for spawning for fish and marine animals. They are breeding, feeding and nursery grounds for many estuarine and marine organisms.
• Purify the water by absorbing impurities and harmful heavy metals and help us to breathe a clean air by absorbing pollutants in the air.
• The tidal swamp is an ideal sanctuary for avifauna some of which are migratory
• Mangrove forests are also important in terms of aesthetics and tourism. Many people visit these areas for sports fishing, boating, bird watching, snorkeling, and other recreational pursuits. 

In addition to these ecological roles, mangrove forest posses attributes that are specifically important to humans :

• Mangroves are also a source of a vast range of wood and non-wood forest products including timber, fuelwood, charcoal, fodder, honey, pulp, tannin, medicine and thatch etc.
• The ecosystem has a very large unexplored potential for natural products useful for medicinal purposes & also for salt production, apiculture, fisheries products fuel and fodder, etc.
• Mangroves also provide opportunities for education, scientific research and eco tourism.
• It is essential to systematically conserve the biodiversity in the mangrove ecosystem and manage well for the use of mankind.

Importance of Earth's Hydrosphere

 

  

   HYDROSPHERE

 

The movement of water around, over, and through the Earth is called the water cycle, a key process of the hydrosphere. In physical geography, the term hydrosphere (Greek hydro means “water”) describes the collective mass of water found on, under, and over a planet’s surface. The earth’s hydrosphere consists chiefly of the oceans, but technically includes clouds, rivers, lakes, inland seas and underground waters. Hydrosphere refers to that portion of the Earth that is composed of water. The hydrosphere represents one component of the Earth’s system, operating in the conjunction with the solid crust (lithosphere) and the air that envelops the planet (atmosphere). 

On Earth, water exists in three primary states of matter; liquid, solid and gas. The distance of the Earth from the sun, fortunately, is such that the amount of energy arriving at the surface of most of the planet is sufficient to elevate the ambient temperature levels above the freezing point of water, yet insufficient to cause all of the water to evaporate into the gaseous state. The capacity of water to store large quantities of heat energy heavily influences the nature of the global climate. The presence of the large bodies of water and the atmosphere restrict the range of temperature fluctuations on Earth.

These conditions have allowed the existence of the fourth component of Earth’s system, the biosphere. Water is constantly being cycled through its various manifestations and through the components of Earth's systems by means of the hydrologic cycle. . Driven by solar energy, water is evaporated from the ocean surface and distributed over the earth as water vapor. Precipitation returns the water, in liquid and solid forms, to other parts of the globe.

The Importance of the Hydrosphere

 It is so easy sometimes to take our hydrosphere for granted and we seldom take the time to really think about the role that this part of the planet plays in keeping us alive. Below are just some of the very important functions of water in the hydrosphere: 

Water is a part of living cells

Each cell in a living organism is made up of almost 75% water, and this allows the cell to function normally. In fact, most of the chemical reactions that occur in life, involve substances that are dissolved in water. Without water, cells would not be able to carry out their normal functions and life could not exist.

 Water provides a habitat

The hydrosphere provides an important place for many animals and plants to live. Many gases (e.g. CO2, O2), nutrients e.g. nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2) and ammonium (NH4+) ions, as well as other ions (e.g. Ca2+ and Mg2+) are dissolved in water. The presence of these substances is critical for life to exist in water.

 Regulating climate

One of water's unique characteristics is its high specific heat. This means that water takes a long time to heat up and also a long time to cool down. This is important in helping to regulate temperatures on earth so that they stay within a range that is acceptable for life to exist. Ocean currents also help to disperse heat.

 Human needs

Humans use water in a number of ways. Drinking water is obviously very important, but water is also used domestically (e.g. washing and cleaning) and in industry. Water can also be used to generate electricity through hydropower. There are a lot of things that human do in their daily lives and water is not absent in everything people do.