Blog 7: The Great Barrier Reef

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 *Video #1: What is "Coral Bleaching? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW8nCALx5iA&feature=related

1.  What is a polyp? What does a polyp need to be considered "coral"?

Coral larvae is a tiny animal that lives in the open water up to 30 days until it    finds a place to settle on the ocean ground. Once it settles, the coral larvae grows into a polyp, which looks like an upside down jellyfish. Zooxanthellae, tiny algae, move into the polyp and multiply, serving as food for the polyp and its astonishing color. After a while, the polyp grows and multiplies, creating many polyp colonies, which we recognize as coral. Then, when corals are created, a reef forms... The very thing that we are amazed with!

2. What types of things are coral sensitive to in the ocean?

Coral are very delicate animals and are sensitive to changes in the water. If the temperature rises a little bit above the normal ocean temperature, the coral becomes stressed. This "coral stress" causes the zooxanthellae to move out of the polyps, and the coral loses its main source of food and its color. This is known as coral bleaching...

3. When does coral bleaching occur?

Coral bleaching occurs when the temperature of the ocean remains above its normal temperature for too long. In other words, if the ocean is warm for a long period of time, large amounts of coral can be affected and die. However, if the ocean temperature returns to normal quickly, the coral still has a chance to recover to whatever state they were in before. 

4. Why do scientists think that coral bleaching is occurring more now than ever?

Coral bleaching is happening more and more nowadays, mostly due to climate changes and is now affecting many areas, including the Great Barrier Reef! 

5. List three ways people can reduce their impact to climate change.

Many things affect climate changes... People can help reduce these temperature fluctuations by adapting reef-friendly habits, such as saving energy by turning off unused lights and appliances, use public transport, and reusing and recycling unnecessary products as much as we can. 

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*Video #2: Why should we care about climate change/destruction of coral reefs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcoyj2VPCOM

1. How many species are there of fish, hard coral, soft coral, sea birds, and shore birds are there in the Great Barrier Reef? 

15,000 species of fish, 360 species of hard coral, 1/3 of the world's soft corals, 22 species of sea birds, and 32 species of shore birds.

2. What is responsible for warming our oceans?

Climate changes are constantly warming our oceans, which is one of the reasons that the Great Barrier Reef is at risk. Warmed oceans cause reefs to become bleached and die...

3. How does increased flooding affect the reefs and the fish that birds that live there?

Extreme weather, such as flooding, pollutes the reef. Fish move to cooler, off-shore waters which means less food for sea birds. 

4. List three additional ways that people can reduce climate change.

People can also buy environmentally sustainable products, open windows instead of turning on the air conditioners, and donate things that will be unused instead of putting them in landfills. 

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*Video #3/#4: Educating children about the effects of climate change

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnqJMlnH5yM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEdoizgeNJk&feature=related

1. List two benefits and two drawbacks to using this kind of media to teach this information.

Both of these videos are very useful in grabbing peoples' attention in order to help save the Great Barrier Reef. They are very colorful, entertaining in some views, as well as kid-friendly. Cartooning the hermit crab or the coral helps get the main point across; however, the hermit crab didn't provide enough information on how to act upon this problem and help, while the coral explained what good and bad things happen, step by step. Some videos should not only focus in on little kids, but teens and adults as well, like documentaries, because they are the ones that will most likely spread the word and do something about it.

2. Videos that I feel would be more beneficial: 

Adults from Australia
This video is very appropriate for people already living in Australia, due to the fact that not only is it informational, more like a documentary, but it also specifies the problems The Great Barrier Reef is going through. Based off of background information that these people already may know, it also explains the effects they have around the world in many different countries.

Foreigners not from Australia
These videos are very much "to the point" of what kind of problems are occurring in the Great Barrier Reef, and possibly how we can help. Not only is it very informational, but also entertaining and can capture the viewer's attention in many ways. It shows actual coral reefs before and after several bleaches, as well as scientists and people trying to help. For foreigners, it may make them think about the world in a different light!

Tourists visiting the Great Barrier Reef

This video provides attention-grabbing pictures and information. Even though it sometimes extends the truth a little bit, the propaganda will open up the eyes of the tourists, making them want to help out The Great Barrier Reef in some way, shape, or form. No matter how old the tourists may be, there is always hope that they will contribute helping this problem.