Main Page

Welcome to the Coral Digest

This is a project of the ENST259 Coral Reef Ecology and Management at UNC - Chapel Hill (ENST259) class. It is meant to be a semi-comprehensive resource for learning about corals, coral reefs, the threats corals face, the role and importance reefs play in the world, and management of reefs and reef-related environments. In time, this Wiki will become the class "textbook", and we hope that other classes interested in learning about coral reefs might also find it useful and informative.

Each year's ENST259 class will build upon the material from previous years. Students will select topics of interest from a list of topics provided by previous years' students that require more research, or students can introduce new topics. After a semester of research, current students will synthesize their research and add that content to this wiki.

Main Topics

• Reef Structure, Formation, and Ecology
• Reef and Near-reef Inhabitants
• Threats to Corals and Coral Reefs
• Protecting and Managing Coral Reefs

Tips for Using This Site

• If you are looking for something specific, like information on coral bleaching, use the Search box at the top and type in "bleaching"
• If you want to learn more about a given topic, then start with the Main Topics, and work your way down towards more specific topics

About Our Images

Unless otherwise indicated, photos shown on this site are pulled from our class photo album located at https://picasaweb.google.com/ENST259, and image credits are attributed in the photo album. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are from the US Virgin Islands (the vast majority from St. John) or the British Virgin Islands (the Caves of Normal Island or the Indians).

Contact

If you have any questions about this wiki or topics you'd like to see added, please email Brian Naess at naess@unc.edu.

Topics for 2014 Students

• Ancient Coral Reefs/Reefs in the Fossil Record
• Descriptions/Discussion of Patch Reefs and Bank Reefs
• Topics for Students interested in Biology/Ecology/Marine Science:
  • Coral Polyps and helping to fill out the info on Zooxanthellae
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Stony Corals
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Soft Corals
  • In-depth discussion of Coral Reproduction
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Deepwater Corals
  • Interesting Fish Behaviors like Schooling, Feeding Techniques (there are others)
  • Fish Reproduction, which would include a discussion of Hermaphroditism
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of any reef creature that might interest you from our Creatures page
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Sponges, and more about The important role of sponges on reefs
  • Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Other Reef Builders like Hydrozoans and Coralline Algae
  • Different Reef Relationships like Symbiosis (only needs a little more info), Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism
  • Describe and illustrate the different Feeding Guilds and Trophic Levels on the reefs
• Talk about the role of Bioerosion on reefs
• In-depth discussions of one or more of the other ecosystems associated with reefs, like Mangroves, Macroalgal Beds, and Lagoons
• Perhaps combined with the above topic, a discussion of the importance of Nursery Areas
• One of the major threats to coral reefs is Pollution, which can take many forms, including Water Pollution, Nutrient Loading, and Plastics and other Litter
• Other threats like [[PhysicalDamage|Physical Damage (anchors, tourist trampling, etc.), Sediment Overload, and Air Pollution, including dust
• One major impact from increased CO2 in the atmosphere is Ocean Acidification. Talk about how this might affect coral reefs and find examples where this may already be happening
• Another major impact from increased CO2 in the atmosphere is warmer temperatures and warmer ocean temperatures. Warmer SSTs may even play a role in increased flooding
• For someone interested in economics, much work has been done to estimate the Economic Value of reefs around the world. Research this and provide numbers/examples.
  • Part of the economic value of reefs comes from tourism. Describe Ecotourism and how it differs from regular tourism
• For someone interested in laws and regulations, there are many Governmental Units dedicated to working with coral reefs. List as many as you can, along with their role, missions, and accomplishments - particularly for the US.
• In terms of reef management, these topics need further research:
  • What makes for an effective Management Plan? Who are the key Stakeholders?
  • Fisheries Management is an incredibly controversial topic, and there are many examples of how fisheries were "managed" into extinction. Provide examples of effective management and tragic tales of ineffective management. Try to focus on reef species, i.e. don't include cod!
  • Talk about the importance and characteristics of Marine Reserves/Wilderness Areas and compare them to MPAs. Why aren't there more closed areas?
  • Talk about the impact of the Aquarium Trade on reefs and reef management