The Demise of Coral Reefs

Though there are many impacts that the beautiful and extremely useful coral reefs are vulnerable to, from natural ware and tear to destruction by other marine organisms, the most detrimental one is manmade. Oil spills are the number one cause of the destruction of coral reefs and are the main reason for the abrupt, rapid disappearance and corrosion of the reefs. According to the federal task force study, 10 % of the world’s coral reefs are damaged beyond recovery and according to the NOAA, two thirds of the world’s coral reefs are being damaged, 58 % of which is due to human activity. Not only is the oil itself extremely harmful to the reefs, but better yet the methods and agents use to clean up the reefs are even more harmful. Coral reefs are an extremely beautiful and valuable resource. From providing stimulus to local economies by providing jobs by way of tourism, fishing, food for humans as well as marine life and lifesaving medicine that stems from the reefs, there is no doubt that the least that can be done is the prevention of the destruction of this resource by oil spills. The effects of oil spills as well as the techniques and methods used in the cleanup process of the spills are fatally detrimental to coral reef communities.

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem composed of thin layers of calcium carbonate cached by many colonies of coral. Coral, which can be either hard or soft, are miniscule organisms that contain nutrients essential to the life of the reef. Because coral reefs rely so heavily upon the photosynthesis of the coral, they are often found in clear, shallow waters in order to obtain a substantial amount of sunlight. They are even considered primary producers because they reduce CO₂ . Coral reefs also inhabit many different organisms such as sharks, fish, crustaceans, sponges and sea turtles. In fact, coral reefs harbor over one quarter of the oceans biodiversity making them one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.

Coral reefs are an important, valuable resource not only to the oceanic environment but as well as to the economies of the areas surrounding coral reefs. Ecological economist Pavan Sukhdev, the head of the Cambridge University-based group The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) calculates that coral reefs are worth $172 billion dollars per year to the global economy. As stated before, coral reefs are home to over twenty five percent of the oceans marine species. Coral reefs bring balance to the ecosystem by maintaining the food chain among these twenty five percent of the oceans marine species. The coral serve as food for some marine life that is then food for other animals. Another crucial benefit of coral reefs is, when healthy, they provide great protection to coastlines against tsunamis and hurricanes. Princeton University scientists generated the first computer model of a tsunami strike against a reef protected shoreline. The model establishes that a healthy reef offers twice as much protection as a dead or damaged reef. According to geosciences Professor Michael Oppenheimer “Healthy reefs have rougher surfaces, which provide friction that slows the waves substantially in comparison with smoother, unhealthy ones. This study provides yet another motivating factor for protecting the planet's coral reefs from degradation." Coral reefs are also vital to the fishing industry. The quarter of the world’s fish that coral reefs harbor fuel the fishing industry. According to the NOAA, scientific studies have even shown that some fish that live in and around coral are bigger and more abounding than the same exact species found in other areas. Recent medical breakthroughs have even discovered that coral reefs may harbor sponges or coral that contain chemicals that may have medicinal purposes. HIV infections have been treated with AZT, which is a chemical found in a reef sponge. Also found in coral is calcium which can remedy conditions like arthritis and heart disease. Coral can also aid in blood clotting and cleaning the intestines. Coral reefs have so much to offer and are truly a remarkably valuable resource.

Oil spills are extremely harmful to coral reefs. Direct oil contact with the reef, in most cases, results in the death of the reef. Reefs that are exposed at low tides are vulnerable to direct contact with the oil. Soluble oil that mixes with rough waters can result in the water mixing with the oil below the surface. The oil below the surface can then affect the reef while underwater which is less exposure to the reef, but the oil is more toxic at this point. Smothering of the corals can occur when heavy oil mixes with sediment and begins to sink. Bleaching of the reefs can occur when pollution, such as an oil spill, results in environmental stress such as increased temperatures of the water. This may result in the damaging or death of the coral depending on the duration and fatality of the exposure. Some corals may recover from bleaching and then experience slowed growth and reproductive impairment. The level of fatality of coral reef contact with the oil may vary depending on the coral species, the life stage, the exposure, the composition of the oil at the time of contact, the duration of the exposure to the oil and the time of year of the spill. Reefs that are in coral reproduction and early life stages are especially vulnerable to oil. The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has led to the death of many underwater reefs. With these dead reefs being at a depth of 4,600 ft., Pennsylvania State University Professor Charles Fisher Junior acclaims the death of the reefs to contact with the oil, chemical dispersant depleted oxygen from organisms consuming the oil, or a combination of the

three. About 40 different groups of coral were looked at and 90% of them were either dead or dying.

There are various methods used in effort to clean up an oil spill near a coral reef. The decision on which method should be used depends upon the location of the spill, whether or not it is a remote area, availability of response equipment and manpower, issues regarding disposal

of waste and whether or not the positives outweigh the negatives of that said option of oil removal. Any efforts to restore the reefs should not cause additional impact to the reef. One response method used is booming, which is when barriers float on the surface of the water to trap surface oil. The surface oil is then sucked up by vacuum or other methods of collecting the oil from the water. This method is frequently used to control oil at the surface of the water and to stop the oil from making it to the coastline. It is almost like a prevention because it supposed to stop the oil from ever coming into contact with the reef. However, they must be used with caution because they can further damage the reefs, especially if the water is rough. Another response method is the use of dispersants. They are applied to the effected reef using an aerial spraying system. Dispersants are used to break down the oil and are biodegradable. The time period in which it takes to decide whether or not to use dispersants is very short because they are only supposed to be used if the oil is moving away from the coral reef. Another method that is used is in-situ burning. This is when large amounts of crude oil aren’t burned off the surface of the water. It requires fewer personnel and less equipment. The goal of an effective response method is to minimize the damage to the reef and also make sure that the reef is not further harmed. When responding to a cleanup method, vessels must be careful not to cause further

damage to reef with the anchor, dragging lines or ballast water which is used to remove a grounded vessel from a coral reef. Ballast water may be discharged and if it is it contains eggs, larvae, spores and other organisms that are not relative to that ecosystem which could throw off the balance of the coral reef. Some of the methods BP chose to use in the cleanup of their recent oil spill were to skim the oily water and setup a protective boom right away to stop the surface oil from reaching the coast. BP also sent out 1,900 gallons of dispersants just two days after the spill to break down the oil. They also tried in situ burning to rid the surface on the oil.

Some of the most popular techniques used to clean up the oil spills are in fact more detrimental to the coral reef than the oil itself. Because the well-being of the surrounding marine

life takes priority over the recovery of the reef, the safest methods for the coral reefs are sometimes not used. Also, it just so happens that the most popular technique used for oil removal is also the cheapest and easiest one, in situ burning. In situ burning removes a lot of oil in a short period of time. It removes 90% of the oil and requires less equipment, fewer personnel, less logistical support and produces the least amount of waste material. In situ burning has never been used at a coral reef spill site; in situ burning produces a lot of smoke and combustion products. The effect of the method of booming and skimming is efficient and keeps oil away from the coastline. However, this method can’t be used in shallow waters or heavy waves. The use of dispersants is convenient because they can be used in any type of weather during any time period. In a lot of countries the use of dispersants is the primary option when responding to an oil

spill. One problem with dispersants is that it can’t disperse all types of oil and they are not considered to be 100% effective so other response methods may still be needed. Also, it is

proven that dispersants can actually be more harmful to the reef than the oil itself. Dispersants can delay growth and development and even cause the death of a reef. A study by the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological research, National Institute of Oceanography, researchers found that the dispersants were actually more harmful to the coral than the oil itself. In the study, all of the corals were killed by the dispersants. Thus, dispersants are not a recommended cleanup method when dealing with coral reefs. However, dispersants are still going to be an option because there are just not many alternatives and the response effort is supposed to minimize the impact and dispersants can still somewhat do that. The effects of BP’s 1,900 gallons of dispersant, skimming the water and the boom and the in situ burn resulted in them cleaning up 25,000 gallons of oil within the first few weeks.

Coral reefs are long-lived and very capable of recovering, though a very lengthy process which can be thoroughly delayed by manmade or natural stresses to the reef. It can take damaged coral reef decades to centuries to fully recover and it might not look the same as it did before it was damaged. The recovery rate of a coral reef depends on different factors like severity of the damage to the reef and the location of the impact to the reef as well as the surroundings of the

reef. Repeated impacts to the reef could delay the recovery drastically and could even make recovery impossible. Coral recovers from being damaged by regenerating from coral colonies. It

is much harder for a reef to recover from physical damage like being skimmed by a ship than it is for a reef to recover from oil exposure. It is much worse for a coral reef to continually getting damaged here and there even if it is not severe, this will increase the recovery time and it will decrease the likelihood of the reef reaching full restoration. However, recently there has been a breakthrough in the scientific community and scientists believe that can restore dead coral reefs inexpensively and with ease. Dr. Graham Forrester led a group of scientists into research in which they transplanted a fresh coral onto an almost dead reef. The results looked good as the corals growth rates went up as did the survival of the reef. This could be how BP restores the coral reefs that their oil spill has tragically ruined.

Response methods and techniques must change and evolve in order to act more efficiently and more carefully in favor of the coral reefs. The response methods now are not enough to save these incredibly valuable resources from the harm of oil spills. According to the ecological studies of the Amoco Cadiz spill (1978), untreated coastal areas recovered within five years and the areas that were treated have not recovered in over thirty years (Goergii) .Clearly there is something wrong with the approach to cleaning up these oil spills. Response teams must adopt new techniques and methods for responses to oil spills; for example, new and improved skimmers that are technologically designed to pick up more oil off of surfaces. Also, Aerogel which is a new lightweight sponge designed for absorbing oil made up of clay and plastic

designed by scientists at Case Western Reserve University. Obviously a change needs to be made because the system now is not working.

There is no doubt that the harmful impact of oil spills on coral reefs must come to a stop immediately in order to keep these beautiful and valuable resources from dying off. Shippers should be more aware of the harm they are causing to the coral reef ecosystem. Oil companies, like BP, should be more careful about the possibility of an oil spill. Whether it is by way of coming up with alternative response techniques, better prevention techniques or better decision

making on what techniques would be most helpful and least harmful, something must be done to save the coral reefs before it’s too late.