CESAM
  • CESAM
    • ¿Quienes somos?
    • Directiva
  • BLOG
  • EVENTOS
    • Conferencias y Talleres >
      • ASLO 2019
      • Charlas Educativas 2018-2019
      • 2016
      • 2013
    • Actividades Recreativas >
      • Buceo
      • Snorkeling
      • Turismo Interno
    • Viajes Institucionales y Simposios >
      • 35th AMLC en Costa Rica
      • 36th AMLC en Jamaica
      • 64th GCFI en México
  • Información Educativa
    • Tortugas Marinas/ Marine Turtles >
      • Carey/ Hawksbill
      • Peje Blanco/ Green Turtle
      • Tinglar/ Leatherback
    • Peces/ Fish >
      • Ángel Francés/ French Angel
      • Ángel Gris/ Grey Angel
      • Chapín/ Trunkfish
      • Pez León/ Lionfish
      • Tiburón Gata/ Nurse Shark
    • Corales/ Corals >
      • Cuerno de Ciervo/ Staghorn
      • Cuerno de Alce/ Elkhorn
      • Tarrito de Venado
      • Coral de Fuego/ Fire Coral
  • Viajes de Campo
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Culebra
    • Desecheo
    • Haití
    • Isla de Mona
    • Jamaica
    • México
    • Puerto Rico
    • St. Kitts
    • St. Cruz
  • Contactenos





CAPÍTULO ESTUDIANTIL DE LA SOCIEDAD AMbIENTE MARINO







Large study shows pollution impact on coral reefs—and offers solution

11/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture Credit: Oregon State University
One of the largest and longest experiments ever done to test the impact of nutrient loading on coral reefs today confirmed what scientists have long suspected – that this type of pollution from sewage, agricultural practices or other sources can lead to coral disease and bleaching.

A three-year, controlled exposure of corals to elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus at a study site in the Florida Keys, done from 2009-12, showed that the prevalence of disease doubled and the amount of coral bleaching, an early sign of stress, more than tripled.

However, the study also found that once the injection of pollutants was stopped, the corals were able to recover in a surprisingly short time.

"We were shocked to see the rapid increase in disease and bleaching from a level of pollution that's fairly common in areas affected by sewage discharge, or fertilizers from agricultural or urban use," said Rebecca Vega-Thurber, an assistant professor in the College of Science at Oregon State University.

"But what was even more surprising is that corals were able to make a strong recovery within 10 months after the nutrient enrichment was stopped," Vega-Thurber said. "The problems disappeared. This provides real evidence that not only can nutrient overload cause coral problems, but programs to reduce or eliminate this pollution should help restore coral health. This is actually very good news."

The findings were published today in Global Change Biology, and offer a glimmer of hope for addressing at least some of the problems that have crippled coral reefs around the world. In the Caribbean Sea, more than 80 percent of the corals have disappeared in recent decades. These reefs, which host thousands of species of fish and other marine life, are a major component of biodiversity in the tropics.

Researchers have observed for years the decline in coral reef health where sewage outflows or use of fertilizers, in either urban or agricultural areas, have caused an increase in the loading of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. But until now almost no large, long-term experiments have actually been done to pin down the impact of nutrient overloads and separate them from other possible causes of coral reef decline.

This research examined the effect of nutrient pollution on more than 1,200 corals in study plots near Key Largo, Fla., for signs of coral disease and bleaching, and removed other factors such as water depth, salinity or temperature that have complicated some previous surveys. Following regular injections of nutrients at the study sites, levels of coral disease and bleaching surged.

One disease that was particularly common was "dark spot syndrome," found on about 50 percent of diseased individual corals. But researchers also noted that within one year after nutrient injections were stopped at the study site, the level of dark spot syndrome had receded to the same level as control study plots in which no nutrients had been injected.

The exact mechanism by which nutrient overload can affect corals is still unproven, researchers say, although there are theories. The nutrients may add pathogens, may provide the nutrients needed for existing pathogens to grow, may be directly toxic to corals and make them more vulnerable to pathogens – or some combination of these factors.

"A combination of increased stress and a higher level of pathogens is probably the mechanism that affects coral health," Vega-Thurber said. "What's exciting about this research is the clear experimental evidence that stopping the pollution can lead to coral recovery. A lot of people have been hoping for some news like this.

"Some of the corals left in the world are actually among the species that are most hardy," she said. "The others are already dead. We're desperately trying to save what's left, and cleaning up the water may be one mechanism that has the most promise."

Nutrient overloads can increase disease prevalence or severity on many organisms, including plants, amphibians and fish. They've also long been suspected in coral reef problems, along with other factors such as temperature stress, reduced fish abundance, increasing human population, and other concerns.

However, unlike factors such as global warming or human population growth, nutrient loading is something that might be more easily addressed on at least a local basis, Vega-Thurber said. Improved sewage treatment or best-management practices to minimize fertilizer runoff from agricultural or urban use might offer practical approaches to mitigate some coral reef declines, she said.

Source: http://phys.org/news/2013-11-large-pollution-impact-coral-reefsand.html


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archivos

    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    July 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categorías

    All
    Actividades Culturales
    Actividades En UPR Rio Piedras
    Acuicultura
    Adaptación Del Cefalopodo
    AEE Pagará $205 Millones A Windmar
    Aquaculture
    Arrecife Isla Verde
    Arrestado Por Matar Tinglar
    Atipur En Ocean Park
    Australia Largest Amp
    Bahia Bioluminiscente
    Barnacles
    Blanket Octopus
    Bumphead Parrotfish Rivals
    Buque Isla De Mona
    Cambio Climático
    Caparazón De Una Tortuga Marina
    Caribbean Coral Reefs
    Caribe
    Carnivorous Sponge
    Catastrofe En Mona
    Cave Diving
    CESAM
    Charlas
    Cigarette Butts
    Climate Change
    Conversaciones De Ostras
    Coral Adaptation To Global Change
    Coral For Sunscreen
    Coral Reefs Vs Climate Change
    Corals
    Corals Benefit
    Costa Rica Tortugas
    Crustaceo Venenoso
    Cuba
    Cueva Ventana
    Culebra
    Daño Ambiental
    Deforestación En Culebra
    Delfinario Del Escambrón
    Delfines
    Deshielo En Ártico
    Designación Reserva Isla Verde
    Diseases Outbreak
    Dorado Conservación
    Dunas
    Eat Lionfish?
    Ecoturismo
    El Carey
    Electricity On Corals
    Emergencia Ambiental En Italia
    En Peligro Palominito
    Ensuciando El Orgullo Pr
    Erosión En Rincón
    Especies Invasivas
    Estrellas De Mar
    Estuario: Vertedero Ecologico
    Festival Del Tinglar
    Forosocial En Brazil
    Fósil Marino Antiguo
    [[\\\"Four Tracks\\\"]] En Bosque Seco De Guanica?
    Global Warming In 26 Sec
    Gran Barrera De Australia
    Hawaii Bans Plastic Bags
    Hawksbill Tracking
    Heat Effect On Sea-turtle Egg
    Huracán
    Huracán
    Impacto Del Desarrollo Costero En Pr
    Impacto Del Snorkeling Y Buceo
    Incineradora En Arecibo
    Invasive Starfish
    Jellyfish Scourge Threatens Israel
    Jireh En Mona
    Kayakeando Por El Caribe
    Kony 2012
    Leatherback
    Leatherbacks Crushed
    Ley Del Cen
    Limitaciones A La Pesca
    Limpieza De Costa
    Lionfish
    Lluvias Fuertes En Pr
    Manatee
    Manatíes En Peligro
    Mangroves As Filters
    Maricultura
    Mesa Informativa
    Mesophotic Reefs
    Mpa
    Muere Manati En Guayama
    Multa Por Basura
    Multa Por Tirar Basura
    Nieve En El Mar
    Nivel Del Mar
    Noche De San Juan
    Northeast Ecological Corridor
    Northeast Reserve Pr
    Observadores En El Embassy
    Overfishing
    Palau
    Parrotfish
    Penguins From Space
    Perspectiva Ambiental Del Candidato Santorum
    Pesca De Tiburones
    Pez Con Cancer563d9b013c
    Pitcairn
    Playa Isla Verde
    Playas Puerto Rico
    Pollution
    Praderas Submarinas
    Protección De Corales
    Puerto Rico
    Reserva Isla Verde
    Reserva Natura Culebra
    Samuel Suleiman
    Sea Turtle
    Sea Urchin
    Seaweed
    Seria Amenaza Al Cen
    Sharks
    Shark Trade Restrictions
    Tiburón Blanco
    Tiburones Del Pacifico
    Tinglar
    Tourism Marine
    Transgenicos
    Triunfo Del Arrecife Isla Verde
    Tuna
    Underwater Mystery Solved
    Varamientos
    Viajes De Campo
    Victoria Culebrense
    Vida Marina En Antartida
    Vieques
    White Marlin Pr

    Fuentes/
    Sources


    -Noticias Ambientales
    -Mi PR Verde
    -BBC Mundo
    -El Nuevo Día
    -Diálogo
    -Sea Grant Puerto Rico
    -
    NOAA Science Blog
    -TELESUR
    -NotiCel
    -Índice
    -The Atlantic
    - ScienceDaily
    -The Guardian
    -Compass Caiman
    -La Nación
    -ThinkProgress.Org
    - Greenerideal
    -Mi Nación
    -News.mongabay.com
    -CIELUPRM
    -
    Phys.org
    -
    Goedenshark.blogspot.com
    -Conservationmagazine.org/

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • CESAM
    • ¿Quienes somos?
    • Directiva
  • BLOG
  • EVENTOS
    • Conferencias y Talleres >
      • ASLO 2019
      • Charlas Educativas 2018-2019
      • 2016
      • 2013
    • Actividades Recreativas >
      • Buceo
      • Snorkeling
      • Turismo Interno
    • Viajes Institucionales y Simposios >
      • 35th AMLC en Costa Rica
      • 36th AMLC en Jamaica
      • 64th GCFI en México
  • Información Educativa
    • Tortugas Marinas/ Marine Turtles >
      • Carey/ Hawksbill
      • Peje Blanco/ Green Turtle
      • Tinglar/ Leatherback
    • Peces/ Fish >
      • Ángel Francés/ French Angel
      • Ángel Gris/ Grey Angel
      • Chapín/ Trunkfish
      • Pez León/ Lionfish
      • Tiburón Gata/ Nurse Shark
    • Corales/ Corals >
      • Cuerno de Ciervo/ Staghorn
      • Cuerno de Alce/ Elkhorn
      • Tarrito de Venado
      • Coral de Fuego/ Fire Coral
  • Viajes de Campo
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Culebra
    • Desecheo
    • Haití
    • Isla de Mona
    • Jamaica
    • México
    • Puerto Rico
    • St. Kitts
    • St. Cruz
  • Contactenos