1. The Threats to Coral Reefs
OCEANS ON THE EDGE 2
The Threats to Coral Reefs
Key words:
Coral bleaching fishing
degrade tourism siltation
Starter:
Watch this clip – what threat to coral reefs is shown?
Learning Objective:
To be able to explain how human activities are degrading and destroying coral reefs

2. Complete the cut and stick activity
Separate the factors which degrade/destroy coral reefs into those which are:
Natural
Human
Natural and Human
Siltation = to become filled with silt (fine material e.g. mud)
El Nino = a change in ocean temperatures by natural processes every 2-7 years
Coral Bleaching = warm waters cause the algae to leave the coral, so the coral stops growing and loses its colour

3. Watch the first 3 minutes of this clip – how is fishing damaging the reef?

4. Problems of fishing Subsistence fishing. But some use blast fishing!
Overfishing for the far-east
See page 109 of green book.
Trawler fishing – highly efficient and damaging
Overfishing of key species

5. The problems caused by fishing
Copy and complete these sentences
Demand in the far-east ...
Most local people fish at a subsistence level using spear/traps, but others ...
Trawlers use small mesh nets which which is a problem because ...
Trawlers also cause problems because ...
Selective fishing is a problem because ...
See page 109 of Green book

6. The problems caused by tourism
Look at the diagram on page 109 of the green book.
Say what you think are the 5 most damaging things to the coral reefs caused by tourism.

7. And finally ...
Who is going to be
in the hot seat?