Stresses on Coral Reefs by Eric Hiatt

Web Resources for Stresses on Coral Reefs:

TEMPERATURE:

This is a great overview from the World Meteorological Organization.
This is a great resource form the National Oceanic Data Center’s Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database with animations and maps of sea surface temperature.
Reefs and temperature from the Biology Department at Duke University.
Here is a short article on how some reefs are better able to survive warming temperatures because they are in areas that experience cooler waters part of the year from Science Daily.
This is a good page from the Coral Reef Alliance on climate change and coral reefs.
This article discusses the temperature limits of coral reefs.
Here is an article focusing on climate change and coral reefs.
This page provides good information and graphics about coral reefs and climate change.
This is a good resource on climate change’s impact on coral reefs from the World Wildlife Fund.

SEDIMENT RUN OFF AND WATER QUALITY:

This is a very good page from the US Geological Survey that shows how fast run off-derived sediment can impact reef environments.
Here is another page from the US Geological Survey documenting the effects of sediment on reefs in Hawaii.
This is a short page on the importance of mangroves and sea grass to stabilize sediment by the UN Atlas of the Oceans.
Here is an in-depth article that discusses the effects of sediment on coral reefs by the Environmental Defense Fund.
This is a great photo showing a sediment plume on Guam.
Here is a great resource form The Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Here is a page on coastal development and coral reefs from the Coral Reef Alliance.

NUTRIENTS AND WATER QUALITY:

Here is a good overview of the role of nutrients and coral reefs from the National Geographic Society.
Here is an article on nutrients and diseases in coral reefs by the New Scientist.
This short article explains the role that sponges play in keeping water on reefs clean from Science Daily.
Here is a web page about watersheds, water quality and coral reefs from the Coral Reef Alliance.
This page is on nutrients, eutrophication from the Global Coral Reef Alliance.
Here is a link to a paper titled "Coral Reefs, Sewage, and Water Quality Standards".

OVER FISHING:

This is a good page about over fishing and reefs from the Coral Reef Alliance.
Here is a good article on over fishing and nutrients on coral reefs from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, by Jennifer E. Smith.
Here is a short article from Science Daily about the impact of over fishing of sharks and reefs.
Here is a another article from Science Daily that points out that over fishing may have begun impacting coral reefs hundreds of years ago.
This is an in-depth article about over fishing and reefs from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Here is an article from Coral Reef Alliance that discusses over fishing and the different types of methods fisherman use to exploit and destroy the reef.

ALL STRESS TYPES:

This is an excellent web site that includes information about coral reefs and the stresses on coral reefs by Texas A & M University’s Ocean World web site.
Here is a good overview of reefs and coral from the Ozone Hole Organization.
This is a good summary of threats to coral reefs from Reef Relief.
This is a good overview of stresses on coral reefs from the Encyclopedia of Earth.
Here is another good overview of reef stresses from Exploring the Environment organization .
This is a detailed explanation of coral reef stresses by Marine Biology.org.
Here is a great resource form The Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area .
This is a good resource from the International Year of the Coral Reef Organization.
Here is an article that summarizes the many threats on coral reefs.

These are additional pages that contain contain information on many stressors that endanger our coral reefs today: