A Green Sea Turtle Depletion Problem in the Andros Coral Reef of Andros on coral reef growth and survival. More specifically a top-down cascading effect on the coral reef ecosystem is inferred, as green sea turtles both directly and indirectly control the amount of sea grass and algae in this ecosystem. Overnutrition could be considered a hindrance to coral reefs, and the green sea turtle helps by eliminating the effects of excess nutrients and algae growth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The depletion of green sea turtles directly contributes to growth and overabundance due to their role in the regulation and consumption of seaweed and algae. It is very important to observe how the level of nutrient production of the coral reef is detrimental to the survival of the green sea turtle. Additionally, algae and sea grass have a competitive relationship with coral, competing for nutrients, sunlight and space. Overgrowth of algae and algae on the reef could eliminate large patches of coral, which is why it is such a source of interest to amplify its effects on these biological structures. IntroductionThe Andros Barrier Reef is the world's third largest barrier reef, which extends approximately 220 km from the Joulter Cays, which is located around the island of Andros, in the Bahamas (Davenport, 2008). The coral reef is divided into five main zones based on formation, distribution and architectural development; the lagoon, the external-front reef, the internal-front reef, the reef crest and the rear reef. The Andros Barrier Reef is not considered a "true" reef system due to the shallow depth of the lagoon and proximity to the coast. The Andros Barrier Reef slopes into a vertical reef, dropping to a depth of approximately 2,000 feet into an ocean trench, typically called the “Tongue of the Ocean.” The Andros reef is made up of small colonies of soft-bodied coral polyps. Their hard skeletons make up the exoskeleton of the coral reef. The main coral species found in the Andros reef are smooth brain coral, staghorn coral, aquatic gorgonian and sea reed. Coral reefs are of great importance because they are the most diverse ecosystem on earth; the Andros reef hosts 25% of all marine species (Cranton and Sanders, 1993). Scientists have described over 164 species of fish and coral that make up the Andros reef. The coral reef relies on herbivorous fish to maintain balance in the formation and growth of algae, as the algae compete with corals for sunlight, space and nutrients that are of utmost importance to the reef's survival. If unregulated, their growth could kill large portions of coral. In the following research, the effects of reef shark depletion on the Andros Reef are evaluated, as well as inferences about the effects on the growth of juvenile fish living on the seagrass bottom. As follows, we propose that the depletion of reef sharks on the Andros Reef will create a top-down cascading effect in the reef system.coral reef. Topic Analysis The world ecosystem is managed through its trophic level. Trophic, which comes from the Greek word for food and/or nutrition, essentially describes an organism's position in the food chain. This position is determined by the organism's tendency to eat or be eaten. Primary producers, which are autotrophs, use the sun's energy for food and convert it into biomass. The biomass will in turn be consumed by primary, secondary and tertiary consumers. Each of these interactions would constitute what is known as the trophic level of an ecosystem. As you can see from the figure above, the trophic dynamics of an ecosystem will produce a pyramid shape with most primary producers at the bottom and fewer top predators at the top. It is important that this distribution of organisms in their respective trophic levels remains intact, since a shift in the balance would produce undesirable effects for the ecosystem. The relationship between organisms in any ecosystem can be visualized through the organization of their respective trophic levels in a food chain. A food chain contains four major trophic levels: primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Primary producers are the foundation of any food chain and are made up of autotrophic organisms that synthesize organic compounds through photosynthesis. In a coral reef, common autotrophs are phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms), algae and zooxanthellae. The primary consumers feed on this first level of organisms. These consumers are herbivores and include a wide range of marine life such as zooplankton, herbivorous and invertebrate larvae, sea urchins, crabs and sea turtles (CoralScience.org). They play an important role in the function of the coral reef system by regulating algae. Too much algae can be harmful to corals and the end result is coral death. Specific to the Andros Reef, the Queen Angel, King Angel, Green Turtle and Parrotfish (Andros Reef) are all abundant primary consumers feeding on soft corals, coral skeletons, plants and plankton. The next trophic level of Organisms in the food web are secondary consumers and consist of corallivores, piscivores (eat fish), plankton eaters, and organisms that feed on other benthic invertebrates (i.e. primary consumers) (CoralScience.org). Secondary consumers found on the Andros reef include the Blue Tang, Flying Gurnard, Lobster and Queen Trigger. They are known to feed on plankton, small crustaceans and invertebrates, worms and sea urchins respectively. At the top of the food chain are tertiary consumers, large fish that essentially eat smaller fish that are below them in the food chain. Tertiary consumers can be predatory but they can also be non-predatory. In Andros, tertiary consumers include the Great Barracuda, which feeds on herring and tuna, the Green Moray, which feeds on fish and squid, the Trumpet Wrasse, which feeds on small fish, and the Reef Shark, which it feeds on anything, including small fish and cephalopods. The balance of each trophic level in an ecosystem is very important for the survival of the ecosystem. When faced with the question of which organisms in an ecosystem play a key role in regulating its trophic levels, ecologists solemnly believe it is the apex predator. The trophic stability of an ecosystem strongly depends on predation. Predation by a predatorat the apex it keeps other trophic levels in check by controlling the population of multiple species in the right proportion, preventing prey species from causing damage to an ecosystem by becoming overly populated (Menge and Sutherland). By preventing multiple trophic levels from exceeding their capacity, competition is facilitated and this would also allow growth and speciation (Dodson 1974). Removing an apex predator from an ecosystem will cause the entire ecosystem to collapse. The above truth about predation is that it helps the ecosystem. In the Andros reef, the stability and diversity of the marine environment is kept intact through interactions with its top predators. The reef shark is known as the top predator of the Andros reef. Its presence is crucial to the survival of the ecosystem, so much so that its removal foreshadows the inevitable destruction of the ecosystem in a top-down manner (Robbins 2006). Reef sharks, as apex predators, feed opportunistically as well as diseased animals. , old and weak fish in their prey population. This trend keeps coral reef populations competitively “fit” and will allow diversity and speciation to take place over evolutionary time. Ecologists believe that sharks are a keystone species and the concept of an ecosystem deprived of their apex predator would directly or indirectly cause the endangerment or extinction of many other marine species. Many studies have been conducted on the direct and indirect involvement of apical species of an ecosystem. As a basis for our research, we will look at the study reported and conducted by the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science). This organization conducted a study on the impact of losing an apex predator, specifically a shark, from its ecosystem. The team recorded the effects when the shark was sparse in the environment for long periods of time and interpreted the data over the course of several studies. periods of time. On several occasions where there has been a decrease in the presence of sharks, there has been an increase in the number of prey organisms. Since a shark's diet is made up of several prey species, prey would obviously experience an increase in numbers in their absence. A shark's niche may not be intact with its numbers declining and primary consumers starting to grow, as seen by the underlying model done by AAAS. Using the data above, we established the idea that losing a pinnacle from our site would cause an increase in primary and secondary consumers, often referred to as mesopredators. In particular, reducing the reef shark population would increase the abundance of green sea turtles. Although green sea turtles are important to the health of coral reefs due to their consumption of algae, their overabundance could be detrimental to coral reef diversity. From our food web site on Andros, we have observed that the only species keeping green sea turtles at bay are reef sharks. Without a predator, green sea turtles experience unhindered growth and reproductive rates. The increased abundance of green sea turtles would put enormous pressure on the primary production of seagrass, which is their staple food. Carnivorous as hatchlings, but turning herbivorous after maturation, adult green sea turtles graze only on seagrass meadows and algae. Ultimately, their potential overpopulation would cause seagrass beds to be depleted, setting in motion a cascade effect that will ultimately be handled by hatchery fish. Seagrasses protect and?

Topic > A Green Sea Turtle Depletion Problem in the Andros Coral Reef of Andros on coral reef growth and survival. More specifically a top-down cascading effect on the coral reef ecosystem is inferred, as green sea turtles both directly and indirectly control the amount of sea grass and algae in this ecosystem. Overnutrition could be considered a hindrance to coral reefs, and the green sea turtle helps by eliminating the effects of excess nutrients and algae growth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The depletion of green sea turtles directly contributes to growth and overabundance due to their role in the regulation and consumption of seaweed and algae. It is very important to observe how the level of nutrient production of the coral reef is detrimental to the survival of the green sea turtle. Additionally, algae and sea grass have a competitive relationship with coral, competing for nutrients, sunlight and space. Overgrowth of algae and algae on the reef could eliminate large patches of coral, which is why it is such a source of interest to amplify its effects on these biological structures. IntroductionThe Andros Barrier Reef is the world's third largest barrier reef, which extends approximately 220 km from the Joulter Cays, which is located around the island of Andros, in the Bahamas (Davenport, 2008). The coral reef is divided into five main zones based on formation, distribution and architectural development; the lagoon, the external-front reef, the internal-front reef, the reef crest and the rear reef. The Andros Barrier Reef is not considered a "true" reef system due to the shallow depth of the lagoon and proximity to the coast. The Andros Barrier Reef slopes into a vertical reef, dropping to a depth of approximately 2,000 feet into an ocean trench, typically called the “Tongue of the Ocean.” The Andros reef is made up of small colonies of soft-bodied coral polyps. Their hard skeletons make up the exoskeleton of the coral reef. The main coral species found in the Andros reef are smooth brain coral, staghorn coral, aquatic gorgonian and sea reed. Coral reefs are of great importance because they are the most diverse ecosystem on earth; the Andros reef hosts 25% of all marine species (Cranton and Sanders, 1993). Scientists have described over 164 species of fish and coral that make up the Andros reef. The coral reef relies on herbivorous fish to maintain balance in the formation and growth of algae, as the algae compete with corals for sunlight, space and nutrients that are of utmost importance to the reef's survival. If unregulated, their growth could kill large portions of coral. In the following research, the effects of reef shark depletion on the Andros Reef are evaluated, as well as inferences about the effects on the growth of juvenile fish living on the seagrass bottom. As follows, we propose that the depletion of reef sharks on the Andros Reef will create a top-down cascading effect in the reef system.coral reef. Topic Analysis The world ecosystem is managed through its trophic level. Trophic, which comes from the Greek word for food and/or nutrition, essentially describes an organism's position in the food chain. This position is determined by the organism's tendency to eat or be eaten. Primary producers, which are autotrophs, use the sun's energy for food and convert it into biomass. The biomass will in turn be consumed by primary, secondary and tertiary consumers. Each of these interactions would constitute what is known as the trophic level of an ecosystem. As you can see from the figure above, the trophic dynamics of an ecosystem will produce a pyramid shape with most primary producers at the bottom and fewer top predators at the top. It is important that this distribution of organisms in their respective trophic levels remains intact, since a shift in the balance would produce undesirable effects for the ecosystem. The relationship between organisms in any ecosystem can be visualized through the organization of their respective trophic levels in a food chain. A food chain contains four major trophic levels: primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Primary producers are the foundation of any food chain and are made up of autotrophic organisms that synthesize organic compounds through photosynthesis. In a coral reef, common autotrophs are phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms), algae and zooxanthellae. The primary consumers feed on this first level of organisms. These consumers are herbivores and include a wide range of marine life such as zooplankton, herbivorous and invertebrate larvae, sea urchins, crabs and sea turtles (CoralScience.org). They play an important role in the function of the coral reef system by regulating algae. Too much algae can be harmful to corals and the end result is coral death. Specific to the Andros Reef, the Queen Angel, King Angel, Green Turtle and Parrotfish (Andros Reef) are all abundant primary consumers feeding on soft corals, coral skeletons, plants and plankton. The next trophic level of Organisms in the food web are secondary consumers and consist of corallivores, piscivores (eat fish), plankton eaters, and organisms that feed on other benthic invertebrates (i.e. primary consumers) (CoralScience.org). Secondary consumers found on the Andros reef include the Blue Tang, Flying Gurnard, Lobster and Queen Trigger. They are known to feed on plankton, small crustaceans and invertebrates, worms and sea urchins respectively. At the top of the food chain are tertiary consumers, large fish that essentially eat smaller fish that are below them in the food chain. Tertiary consumers can be predatory but they can also be non-predatory. In Andros, tertiary consumers include the Great Barracuda, which feeds on herring and tuna, the Green Moray, which feeds on fish and squid, the Trumpet Wrasse, which feeds on small fish, and the Reef Shark, which it feeds on anything, including small fish and cephalopods. The balance of each trophic level in an ecosystem is very important for the survival of the ecosystem. When faced with the question of which organisms in an ecosystem play a key role in regulating its trophic levels, ecologists solemnly believe it is the apex predator. The trophic stability of an ecosystem strongly depends on predation. Predation by a predatorat the apex it keeps other trophic levels in check by controlling the population of multiple species in the right proportion, preventing prey species from causing damage to an ecosystem by becoming overly populated (Menge and Sutherland). By preventing multiple trophic levels from exceeding their capacity, competition is facilitated and this would also allow growth and speciation (Dodson 1974). Removing an apex predator from an ecosystem will cause the entire ecosystem to collapse. The above truth about predation is that it helps the ecosystem. In the Andros reef, the stability and diversity of the marine environment is kept intact through interactions with its top predators. The reef shark is known as the top predator of the Andros reef. Its presence is crucial to the survival of the ecosystem, so much so that its removal foreshadows the inevitable destruction of the ecosystem in a top-down manner (Robbins 2006). Reef sharks, as apex predators, feed opportunistically as well as diseased animals. , old and weak fish in their prey population. This trend keeps coral reef populations competitively “fit” and will allow diversity and speciation to take place over evolutionary time. Ecologists believe that sharks are a keystone species and the concept of an ecosystem deprived of their apex predator would directly or indirectly cause the endangerment or extinction of many other marine species. Many studies have been conducted on the direct and indirect involvement of apical species of an ecosystem. As a basis for our research, we will look at the study reported and conducted by the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science). This organization conducted a study on the impact of losing an apex predator, specifically a shark, from its ecosystem. The team recorded the effects when the shark was sparse in the environment for long periods of time and interpreted the data over the course of several studies. periods of time. On several occasions where there has been a decrease in the presence of sharks, there has been an increase in the number of prey organisms. Since a shark's diet is made up of several prey species, prey would obviously experience an increase in numbers in their absence. A shark's niche may not be intact with its numbers declining and primary consumers starting to grow, as seen by the underlying model done by AAAS. Using the data above, we established the idea that losing a pinnacle from our site would cause an increase in primary and secondary consumers, often referred to as mesopredators. In particular, reducing the reef shark population would increase the abundance of green sea turtles. Although green sea turtles are important to the health of coral reefs due to their consumption of algae, their overabundance could be detrimental to coral reef diversity. From our food web site on Andros, we have observed that the only species keeping green sea turtles at bay are reef sharks. Without a predator, green sea turtles experience unhindered growth and reproductive rates. The increased abundance of green sea turtles would put enormous pressure on the primary production of seagrass, which is their staple food. Carnivorous as hatchlings, but turning herbivorous after maturation, adult green sea turtles graze only on seagrass meadows and algae. Ultimately, their potential overpopulation would cause seagrass beds to be depleted, setting in motion a cascade effect that will ultimately be handled by hatchery fish. Seagrasses protect and?