Preserving Our Beautiful Coastal Habitats From Destruction

ENTRY 6; WEEK 10

Yet To Come!

Sea Grass Beds Are Of Importance

ENTRY 5; WEEK 9

Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants found in shallow marine waters, such as bays. A vital part of the marine ecosystem due to their productivity level, seagrasses provide food, habitat, and nursery areas for numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species. The vast biodiversity and sensitivity to changes in water quality inherent in seagrass communities makes seagrasses an important species to help determine the overall health of coastal ecosystems. Seagrasses perform numerous functions:

• Stabilizing the sea bottom- The extensive root system (see diagram below) in seagrasses, which extends both vertically and horizontally, helps stabilize the sea bottom in a manner similar to the way land grasses prevent soil erosion.

• Ecosystem support: Seagrasses provide food, shelter, and essential nursery areas to commercial and recreational fishery species and to countless aquatic organisms living in seagrass communities.

• Food for example, turtles obtain their food from the seagrass beds.

• Water Quality: Seagrasses help trap fine sediments and particles that are suspended in the water column, which increases water clarity. When a sea floor area lacks seagrass communities, the sediments are more frequently stirred by wind and waves, decreasing water clarity, affecting marine animal behavior, and generally decreasing the recreational quality of coastal areas.

References

Website: http://www.marbef.org/wiki/seagrass_meadows (Marine Biodiversity Wiki)

Coral Reef; Plays A Crucial Role

ENTRY 4; WEEK 8

In my previous blog posts, formation and different types of coral reefs were observed. This post will edify you on the functions and importance of the coral reef.

Functions Of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs have numerous functions; the following will highlight some of the main functions:

• Protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms.

• Provide habitats and shelter for many marine organisms.

• Are the source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains.

• Assist in carbon and nitrogen fixing.

• Helps with nutrient recycling.

• Fish spawn there and juvenile fish spend time there before making their way to the open sea.

• Recreation and Tourism – captures a lot of tourist for fishing and site seeing, which results in great economic stability.

• Medicine- can obtain a lot of treatments and research from the reef to aid in the curing of various illnesses and diseases.

Buccoo Reef, Tobago, WI

• Coral Reefs are important for providing a clear, scientifically-testable record of climatic events over the past million years. This includes records of recent major storms and human impacts that are recorded by the changes in coral growth patterns. 

References

n.d. International Coral Reef Initiative. http://www.icriforum.org/about-coral-reefs/benefits-coral-reefs.

n.d. Tobago Agricultural and Marine Environment (TAME). http://tobagoip.com/2013/10/03/my-first-tame-post/.

Do Wetlands Have a Purpose?

ENTRY 3; WEEK 7

The Functions of Wetlands

Wetlands play an important and critical role in the coastal community. It helps with regulating the movement of water within watersheds as well as in the global water cycle. The following elaborates in-depth on the main functions of wetlands:

1. Climate Control- Wetlands return over two-thirds of the annual water inputs to the atmosphere through evapo-transpiration as well as moderate temperature extremes in adjacent uplands and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce oxygen via process of photosynthesis.

2.  Flood Prevention – Wetlands act as natural barriers by absorbing the floodwaters and aid in slow drainage of water to help reduce the risk of damages to land.

3. Aiding in coastal protection – These plants, in specific mangroves, act as a buffer zone. The roots of the mangroves are specially designed. They also aid in the reduction of water, sea blast and sediments entering the sea.

4. Marine Habitat- These wetlands, provide a home for marine life. Most animals seek shelter, feed and even reproduce in this habitat where the nutrients are ready available to them.

5.  Biogeochemical Cycling and Storage- Wetlands may be a sink for, or transform, nutrients, organic compounds, metals, and components of organic matter. Wetlands may also act as filters of sediments and organic matter.

The above listed are some of the main functions together with many more the plays a vital role in the environment.

Caroni Swamp (Mangroves)

References

Development, Environment and. n.d. Sustainable Coastal Development. http://www.unesco.org/csi/act/pacsicom/pacsi1.htm.

Images- By Satish M Singh

Wondering what is ‘coastal development’ and how does it impact on the destruction of coastal habitats?

ENTRY 2; WEEK 6

Coastal Development can be defined as an array of human activities that includes beachfront constructions that negatively affects the natural environment, harming both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

There are many areas of the oceans that are suffering from man-made habitat destruction, but coastal areas are disproportionately affected. Majority of the human population prefer living along or near water. As the global population grows, the coastal land use and development will continue to increase. Coastal areas are homes for over 90% of marine species.

Coastal Development

                                                      Impacts from Coastal Development

• Construction projects- such as land reclamation, this can kill the reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds instantly.

• Degradation of coral reefs- this can result in lost of tourism revenue in countries that depend on reef-based tourism.

• Coastal construction- cause chronic sedimentation, sewage effluent, industrial discharge, and changes in water flow and runoff, which can adversely affect coral growth rates and metabolic activities as well as directly kill corals.

• Removal of reefs-result in beach erosion, land retreat, and sedimentation.

• Sedimentation- increase turbidity in coastal waters, thus reducing light needed for coral growth and survival.

• Pollutants- increases in coral disease and mortality as well as changes the structure and growth of coastal organisms.

• Mining of coral for construction materials-can lead to long-term economic losses in terms of lost benefits for fisheries, food security and biodiversity.

As the coastal population increases and natural coastal protection is degraded, sea-level rise and changes in weather patterns are likely to increase the effects of harmful coastal development. A combination of local impacts of land and abiotic factors can result in the threatening and struggle of survival by coastal ecosystems.

References

References

n.d. Google Images. https://www.google.tt/search?q=coastal+development&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMInev14-XgyAIVRBkeCh2zAwAd#tbm=isch&q=coastal+development+affecting+coral+reefs&imgrc=b5fUgyjPakn4kM%3A.

Nature, World Wide Fund For. n.d. Coastal development problems: Tourism. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/tourism/tourism_pressure/.

n.d. PANGEASED. http://pangeaseed.org/issues/coastal-development/.

Wetlands, Coral Reefs & Seagrass Beds

ENTRY 1; WEEK 5

• What are wetlands?

Wetlands can be defined as lands transition between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water.

Wetlands must contain the following attributes: (1) At least periodically, the land supports mainly hydrophytes (aquatic plants), (2) the substrate is mainly undrained hydric (moist) soil, and (3) the substrate is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season each year.

• Examples Of Wetlands

1. Mangroves
2. Marshes
3. Lagoons

Water logged area-Mangroves

• What is a coral reef?

A coral reef generally refers to a marine ecosystem in which the principal organisms are corals. Such ecosystem needs warm temperature, fully marine waters (salt water) and ample sunlight for survival. There are three types of coral reefs:

1. Atolls 
2. Fringing Reefs
3. Barrier Reefs

Types Of Coral Reefs

The most common of these reefs are the Fringing Reefs and Barrier Reefs. Fringing Reefs grow attached to the shore line of islands or continents. Barrier Reefs grow along the outer edges of continental shelves separated from the mainland by open water.

Coral Reef

• What is a Seagrass Bed?

A seagrass bed is any variety of seaweeds or submersed marine grass like plants that grow in shallow coastal waters. Seagrass beds are important as it provides a habitat for aquatic organisms to feed,reproduce and live.

Example Of Seagrass Bed

Introduction To My Blog!

My name is Satish Singh, I am currently a Year One (1) student at University of The West Indies (UWI). I was born in the diverse twin island of Trinidad & Tobago. I am currently pursuing Environmental Science and Sustainable Technology at the university as my undergraduate degree. I have a passion for Environmental Science; nature provides the adventurous opportunity of discovering new aspects of organisms of all shapes and sizes. Nature has helped us in many ways, maintaining and preserving the Earth; this however, is a great responsibility and fulfilling experience. 

As a young environmentalist in the making, I would like to edify individuals to become aware of their surroundings and what nature has to offer. I am over-joyed that as an individual I can share my research on a world wide scale via this blog. Having a love and great desire in what you do can bring out your full potential. 
Go Green & Save The Environment! 

Satish Singh, Environmental Scientist (Observing Wetland At Godineau Swamp, Trinidad, W.I) 

Thank you so much for your time and interest! Just remember, "Who You Are Can Make A Difference!" 

Yours Respectfully,

Satish M Singh

Student, UWI

St. Augustine