Chapter seven - Waleska Reyes

Chapter seven - Waleska Reyes

At the beginning of chapter seven Kolbert describes One Tree Island which is located at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Kolbert explains that in the island there is a small research station that is used to study the chemical composition of the coral reefs.

Coral reefs had been a mystery to many people who encountered it early on but Charles Darwin concluded that it had been submerged in water due to the rising sea levels. Today scientists have determined that a coral reef is an atoll that was submerged in water. Darwin also stated that coral reefs are “amongst the wonderful objects of the world”. Today it is known that coral reefs are made up of many different plants, animals, and minerals. A coral reef grows by the addition of new life forms.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that scientist realized that carbon dioxide was harmful to coral reefs due to the Biosphere Project. The project consisted of a glass structure that was designed to be a self-sustained ecosystem. The project resulted in the participants getting altitude sickness due to the high levels of carbon dioxide. Additionally, the coral reef inside the structure eroded. Therefore if there are high levels of CO2 in the water it will cause the coral reefs to deteriorate. When Kolbert goes snorkeling she notices how many different animals are in the coral reef.

Kolbert highlights that coral reefs appear and disappear occasionally. But coral reefs are disappearing at a higher rate now due to CO2 in the ocean as well as pollution and the increase in ocean temperature which produces more algae and plankton. My question is what would be the effects on human life if the emission of carbon dioxide in the ocean stop?

I connected this chapter with the theme that humans alter natural systems. Due to the emission of CO2 in the ocean, overfishing, as well as pollution by humans coral reefs are disappearing, therefore, disrupting a natural system.