AirPollution: Difference between revisions
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= Impacts of Pollution = | = Impacts of Pollution = | ||
= Dusts and aerosols = | == Dusts and aerosols == | ||
The aerosols in the atmosphere as a result of burning coals or woods can help scatter incoming sunlight and create cloudier, more reflective conditions. The sunlight reaching the sea will reduce, resulting in cooler sea temperature and less photosynthesis. Those results will slow the growth of the coral reefs. | The aerosols in the atmosphere as a result of burning coals or woods can help scatter incoming sunlight and create cloudier, more reflective conditions. The sunlight reaching the sea will reduce, resulting in cooler sea temperature and less photosynthesis. Those results will slow the growth of the coral reefs. | ||
= Global Warming = | = Global Warming = |
Revision as of 00:14, 26 February 2014
Source of Pollution
Human Activity Natural Activity (volcano, etc.)
Impacts of Pollution
Dusts and aerosols
The aerosols in the atmosphere as a result of burning coals or woods can help scatter incoming sunlight and create cloudier, more reflective conditions. The sunlight reaching the sea will reduce, resulting in cooler sea temperature and less photosynthesis. Those results will slow the growth of the coral reefs.
Global Warming
The rapid buildup of greenhouse gases can cause global warming, which will gradually increase the sea surface temperature (SST). Higher temperature will trigger the coral bleaching. Rise of sea-level and more frequent natural disasters including hurricanes and tropical storms as results of changed climate will also influence the coral.
Acidification
some gaseous pollutants will dissolve into water and increase the acidity of surface water, in turn affecting the solubility of other compounds
Measures to Take
References
Seminal article about African dust and the effects on Caribbean coral reefs. African dust can carry heavy metals, pesticides, fungi, and bacteria, and may contribute to coral disease:
Shinn, Eugene A., et al. "African dust and the demise of Caribbean coral reefs." Geophysical Research Letters 27.19 (2000): 3029-3032.
Dust documentary from USGS:
http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/documentary.html
Maybe African dust doesn't carry the pathogens causing aspergillosis:
Krystal L. Rypien, Jason P. Andras and C. Drew Harvell. Globally panmictic population structure in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus sydowii. Molecular Ecology (2008) 17, 4068–4078 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03894.x
Burke L., Maidens J. Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean. World Resources Institute (2004).
The effects of aerosols on coral reef growth: Lester Kwiatkowski, Peter M. Cox, Theo Economou, Paul R. Halloran, Peter J. Mumby, Ben B. B. Booth, Jessica Carilli, et al. (2013). Caribbean coral growth influenced by anthropogenic aerosol emissions. Nature Geoscience. doi:10.1038/ngeo1780