With the algae gone, the .
coral skeleton is visible and eventually it dies. Died corals lead further on to the death of the reef. .
There are four environmental factors that effect their growth: temperature, salinity, water .
depth, and wave action. These factors exposes the reef to changes in the environment very easily .
especially since it is located so close to shore. This also makes it hard for all of the species which .
use the coral reef to survive. Coral reefs are home to perhaps one-fourth of all marine species. This in .
turns effects the entire ecosystem of the ocean. Pollution by humans have directly or indirectly caused .
the death of 5%-10% of the world's living reefs, according to marine biologist Clive Wilkinson of the .
Australian Institute of Marine Science. This estimate didn't take in global warming and ozone depletion .
as a factor. The pollution is caused by fisheries, oil spills, deforestation, tourists, and even reckless .
divers. The problems which are getting even bigger is the problem of deforestation and reckless divers. .
In the watershed of Bacuit Bay in the Philippines, deforestation inc! .
reased erosion into the bay by more that 200 times.(Futurists, 1995) One of the biggest threats to coral .
reefs are tourists. Last year alone over 1.2 million tourists visited the Great Barrier Reef. .
(Star-Bulletin, 1995) The tourists are not only fisherman and devoted divers they are also scientists .
who wanted to see the enormous reef. Every year the numbers of visitors increase by 10%. It has brought .
many resorts to the area who also want to get into fun and making a little money in the $1 billion .
business. Even the hotels and the motels pollute the reefs by their drainage and sewage pipes. This is .
causing a huge problem in coastal tourism which is the world's fastest growing industry, worth over $7 .
billion annually in the Caribbean.(Star-Bulletin, 1995) Marine Scientists are really worried of how much .
