Marine scientists have recently
discovered possibly the worst mass bleaching of coral reefs to date, and they
believe that climate change and heat stress from various weather events has
caused damage to more than a third of the Earth’s coral reefs. Unfortunately,
the scientists have also concluded that the coral reefs most likely will not
recover from this damage. Bleaching of the reefs occurs when high heat causes
the metabolism of the algae to speed out of control, which causes them to
create toxins. As the heat stress continues, the corals starve to death. Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef was confirmed last month to have the largest bleaching. Climate
studies and their effect on coral reefs have proven that these events of
damaged or dying coral reefs are happening with increasing frequency. The
director of Australia’s Global Change Institute noted, “Rising temperatures due
to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels,” and if the
temperature of the water does not cool, these reefs may never be the same.
Coral
reefs are a crucial element of the ocean’s ecosystem because they provide food
and shelter to a quarter of all marine species. More importantly, they support
fish that feed more than one billion people. The damage of these reefs is also detrimental
to the lives of the people who depend on these fish. It has been estimated that
30 million fishermen and women depend on the reefs, and more than one million of
these people are from just the Philippines alone. According to the director of
CoralWatch at Australia’s University of Queensland, the bleaching of the coral
reefs is a “huge, looming planetary crisis.”
This
article was well written and its concise paragraphs were very easy to follow
and understand. I appreciated the author’s inclusion of a map that depicted the
severity of various reports of damaged or dying coral reefs worldwide; this
image proved that there is an increasing threat of dying coral reefs.
Additionally, Innis included several reports from experts on this issue, which
made the article even stronger and more credible. I think there should have
been more discussion of the bleaching process in the article since an
understanding of the damage that this process causes is critical to complete knowledge
of this problem. Overall, this article shed light on a very serious issue
regarding Earth’s coral reefs that I was unaware of before, and I hope to read
about marine scientists finding a way to repair the damaged reefs to maintain
our ecosystem’s balance.
Citation:
Innis, Michelle. "Climate-Related Death of Coral Around
World Alarms Scientists." The New
York Times.
The New York Times, 09 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 May 2016.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/world/asia/climate-related-death-of-coral-around-world-alarms-scientists.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.
I enjoyed reading the review of the New York Times article “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists.” The summary was concise and well-written. Marine scientists have discovered the worst mass bleaching of coral reefs to date as a result of climate change and heat stress from various weather events. This has caused damage to more than a third of the Earth’s coral reefs. Coral reefs most likely will not recover from this damage. Bleaching of the reefs occurs when high heat causes the metabolism of the algae to speed out of control, which causes them to create toxins. As the heat stress continues, the corals starve to death. The use of citations strengthened the analysis of the article. The director of Australia’s Global Change Institute noted, “Rising temperatures due to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels.” The effect of coral death was clearly explained. Coral reefs are a crucial element of the ocean’s ecosystem. They provide food and shelter to a quarter of all marine species and support fish that feed more than one billion people. The damage of these reefs is also detrimental to the lives of the people who depend on these fish. It has been estimated that 30 million fishermen and women depend on the reefs, and more than one million of these people are from just the Philippines alone. The article would have been strengthened with more statistical analysis. A clearer description of the bleaching cycle would have strengthened the writing as well. This article demonstrated the severity of damaged or dying coral reefs and its effect worldwide.
ReplyDeleteInnis, Michelle. "Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 May 2016. .
I think Beth did a great job reviewing this article. I particularly liked how she opened her review because it was eye-catching and intriguing to read. I thought it was a good decision to incorporate a quote from the author because it adds authenticity and provides a specific example of the detrimental issue of bleaching of the ocean’s coral reefs. I also think her explanation of how the bleaching occurs, even though she mentioned that the author did not provide much information on the matter, was very clear and concise, so the reader could easily follow the process of bleaching.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Beth's review was strong, there are certain areas in which she can improve to make it even stronger. Although the fact on Australia made the review more specific, Beth could have explained more in detail why Australia had been the most affected area and how other areas with similar climates could be correlated. I also wish Beth had included more details regarding the map she mentioned in her last paragraph. The map could have made the review even clearer and could have shown how detrimental and effective bleaching is all over the world. She could have used the map to compare and contrast different areas.
Overall, Beth did a great job reviewing the article. I was interested to read how climate change is affecting our planet in a way I hadn’t heard of before. I also found it interesting how detrimental bleaching can be, and how problematic it can become if change doesn’t occur.
Innis, Michelle. "Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 09 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 May 2016. .
Beth, this was a really interesting article choice. I think you did an awesome job summarizing the article and including quotes from experts that made your report more credible. I also think that you explained the relevance of coral bleaching to ruining marine ecosystems. I did not know that coral reefs support fish that feed over 1 million people. You used your statistics really well, so they supported your argument really well. Lastly, your critique of the piece was very concise and I agree with your statement that the author should have included more about the process of coral bleaching, so we can better understand this problem.
ReplyDeleteI think a discussion on the possible food shortage that could occur would be very helpful to support the importance of saving our coral reefs. I also think you could have included the map you mentioned in your report about the places where coral reefs are most effective because it would have been nice to have the visual you talked about. Overall, this is a very strong report.
Coral reefs are a crucial piece of marine ecosystems. They are easily the most biodiverse ecosystem and need to be protected from human harm. If we do not change our actions now, more and more reefs will be affected and we will drive certain marine species to extinction because of habitat destruction. This is a huge problem that needs to be brought to the attention of the public.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFord Neild May 16th, 2016
ReplyDeleteCurrent Event 20 Comment
Dear Beth,
I felt that, overall, you explained the article in very concise manner without skipping over any of the essential details, as many people often do when summarizing. First, you were able to support your claim by inserting statistics and facts from the article, something that many people struggle with in these current events. Prior to reading your summary I would have never guess that high heat could lead to a decrease in marine vitality and your statics helped me consider this upsetting possibility. Second, you described the scientist’s viewpoint in a very interesting way that held the reader's attention. Often people do not sound passionate when arguing scientists opinions, but you did a fantastic job of that in this description. One reason you were able to do this is through the use of the quote,”Rising temperatures due to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels.” It helped add a scientist's description that further captured the reader and added a new perspective. Thirdly, your descriptive vocabulary showed real depth of understanding on your part and added additional detail that helped to create a clear image of this previously confusing article.
Though, overall this article was very well written, there is room for improvement yet. Previously, I had commented that your descriptive vocabulary was intelligent and descriptive, however, for many of these words, they were too complex. To fix this, I recommend putting in parentheses the definition of the word. For example, I was not familiar with the term, bleaching, in the context of reefs. After doing personal research I found that Coral bleaching is the loss of intracellular endosymbionts through the loss of algal pigmentation. Interestingly, bleached corals continue to live, but growth is limited until the protozoa return. In your relevance paragraph, you consistently mention how bleaching can affect almost a quarter of all marine life. I was disappointed that you did not give specific examples of how it might do so. As someone with very little knowledge on this topic, discoloration of algae pigmentation would not seem to be too important. If this was not addressed in the article, I recommend doing independent research in order to fix this issue.
From your summary I learned a lot. Specifically, I was surprised that warm water would damage marine life. Initially, I would have guessed that warm water might stimulate growth, as I always hear about animals migrating to follow warm water. Personally, I love scuba diving and the bright colors of the coral reef, so this article concerned me deeply. As previously mentioned, prior to reading this article I would have never guessed that warm water could cause coral bleaching.
Innis, Michelle. "Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 09 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 May 2016.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/world/asia/climate-related-death-of-coral-around-world-alarms-scientists.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
Beth, I really enjoy reading your review of the article “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists.” I really appreciated your summary paragraph, specifically how in detail you went into how the coral death occurs. You were able to give a very clear description of how the process occurs even though, as you say in your critique, that the article did not go as in depth as you would have wished. As a whole, your critique paragraph was very helpful in judging the limitations of this article and letting the reader know to look somewhere else for more information. Finally, I liked how you incorporated quotes such as, “Rising temperatures due to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels” to help explain your topic while adding sense of reliability.
ReplyDeleteWhile your review had many positive aspects, there are a few areas where you review could have been made better. First, I would have liked it if you had added the source of the heating and why Australia was facing this issue more than any other continent. Also, I would have liked it if you could have explained how the discoloration occurs and what the biological effect, or micro-scale effect, is on the coral. While you say it was because of the heat, I would have appreciated a more in depth explanation.
As you had said, the coral reefs are such a major part of our the world’s ecosystem and it’s concerning to hear that the reefs may be decaying. Previously I had no knowledge of the degree to which people depended on coral reefs and I found the extent and seriousness of this epidemic very intriguing.
I think Beth did an excellent job reviewing this article, and I enjoyed many aspects of it. Specifically, I think she did very well in keeping the review concise and getting right to the point. This made the review so much better because it did not include much useless information that could potentially bore the reader. Another thing I enjoyed about this review was how well Beth integrated quotes and kept the flow of the review. One final thing I enjoyed about this review was how well addressed the main ideas of the article and explained the scientists’ worry about the dying coral.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this was a great review, I feel that there are a couple of things that could be improved upon. One thing that I think would make this review even better would be if maybe Beth went into a little more information about why exactly Australia was affected so much. Another thing that would’ve been nice is if maybe Beth went into a little more depth about her own opinion about the topic.
I was very intrigued by this article and review. One major reason for this was that I was curious about the effect of climate on things like coral, which I am not particularly familiar with.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteI loved your review for many reasons. First, you had an intriguing hook to start off your review. By saying, “Marine scientists have recently discovered possibly the worst mass bleaching of coral reefs to date, and they believe that climate change and heat stress from various weather events has caused damage to more than a third of the Earth’s coral reefs,” you really caught my attention making me want to find out more about the decimation of coral reefs around the planet. Another area I thought you did really well in was keeping your review clear and concise. One specific spot that I thought you presented especially clearly was the part in which you discussed the actual process by which the reefs are dying out. Here, you said, “Bleaching of the reefs occurs when high heat causes the metabolism of the algae to speed out of control, which causes them to create toxins. As the heat stress continues, the corals starve to death.” This is very clear, and it provides a detailed, accurate description of this process. One last thing I liked about your article was the way you made the information you were presenting sound credible by citing the director of Australia’s Global Change Institute. In your review, you quoted him by stating, “Rising temperatures due to climate change have pushed corals beyond their tolerance levels.” In this citation, you made this somewhat unbelievable fact about the fact that the coral reefs were dying out seem believable. Overall, your review was amazing.
While there were countless things I liked about your review, you also had some room for improvement. One thing I didn’t like about your review was that you did not explain the source of the heating that was causing all of these problems. You made it seem as if this area of study was undetermined, and as if scientists had no idea how to stop it. To fix this, I would suggest that you include the heat source. Another reason I didn’t like your review was because you mentioned a map that was included in the article but did not elaborate on it. You said, “I appreciated the author’s inclusion of a map that depicted the severity of various reports of damaged or dying coral reefs worldwide,” but you did not really incorporate the map into your argumentative paragraphs and left the reader puzzled as to how the map played into the article. To fix this, I would have incorporated the map description into your review earlier on. Other than these two reasons, your review was spot-on.
This review was quite informative, and it did a wonderful job presenting the process by which the coral reefs are depleting. Because of this, I am now able to understand just how we are losing them. The reason I chose this article review out of all the others is because of its catchy title. When I saw the title "Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists,” I was immediately hooked. I personally find coral reefs quite beautiful, and the title was very concerning, which compelled me to read more. This review also made me consider environmental care as a whole. I now may think twice about what I do to my environment. This review has changed the way I look and think about how I should treat my environment forever.
I think Beth did an excellent job reviewing this article, and I enjoyed many aspects of it. I really appreciated your summary paragraph, specifically how in detail you went into how the coral death occurs. Second, you described the scientist’s viewpoint in a very interesting way that held the reader's attention. Lastly, your critique of the piece was very concise and I agree with your statement that the author should have included more about the process of coral bleaching, so we can better understand this problem. Although the fact on Australia made the review more specific, Beth could have explained more in detail why Australia had been the most affected area and how other areas with similar climates could be correlated. Another thing that would’ve been nice is if Beth went into a little more depth about her own opinion about the topic. Overall, I was very interested and intrigued with both your review and the topic which you reviewed.
ReplyDeleteHi Beth! I loved your review about the bleaching of coral. It was so clear and well written I now feel like I have a much deeper understanding of the topic. I thought your use of quotes was smart because it allowed me to get more details about the actual text.You did a great job structuring your article and keeping it concise and interesting. I love marine biology and scuba diving so it is hard to read that so much of the coral reef is dying.
ReplyDeleteYour article was great but if you could improve anything I would add how people can help the coral bleaching or raise awareness about it. I also would add some more information on how detrimental the loss of coral reefs would be to our society.
One thing learned from your review is that I didn’t know that coral reefs were bleached by the metabolism of the algae that when heated speeds out of control.
AP Biology Ethan Reich
ReplyDeleteCEC #17 5/16/16
For my current event comment, I read Beth’s review of the article “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists” by Michelle Innis. There were several things that I liked about her review. First, the background information in the summary paragraph was sufficient yet concise, and included facts about the coral reefs themselves and the work done by the climate studies. Specifically, the information on Great Barrier Reef was particularly interesting because I did a project on that Reef way back in elementary school. Next, the quote Beth utilized to substantiate the points she was making added emphasis and backing to the review as a whole. By bringing in a reputable source like the director of Australia’s Global Change Institute, authority was added to a somewhat aloof, third-person review. Finally, Beth’s analysis paragraph was extremely well-written. While the effects of climate change are often seen and depicted easily as things we can see, coral reefs are such that we cannot see much of the catastrophic change happening directly (without scuba diving). However, it is climate change that is driving the death of many of these reefs and destroying tremendous quantities of marine diversity with it.
While Beth’s review was solid, I have a couple suggestions. First, I would suggest going into more detail about why Australia is a center for coral reef studies. Having known this information prior to reading, I was not confused. However, a layman reader not well-esteemed in marine knowledge could get confused when reading about Australia without knowing why Australia was important in the first place. Also, I would appreciate an explanation of the author’s map Beth cited in her final paragraph. This map seemed intriguing, yet was not elaborated on elsewhere. If possible, could the picture have been attached to the review? It would have added extra backing and pizazz to the review.
Overall, Beth’s review was excellent. Succinct and well-written, I learned several things. Specifically, I learned about how climate change is affecting an area of the planet that we don’t think of often. When we are caught up in the whir and busyness of our daily lives, we forget about details like reefs. We like to look at the big picture of issues like global warming, but perhaps the greatest damage being done is at a local level.
Beth great job with your article review! I thought that you chose a very interesting article. I thought that your summary of the article was clear and helped me easily understand your topic. I also thought it was very nice that you added a quote to your article. Adding a quote from the article helps elevate the review. I also enjoyed how you explained the relevance of the coral bleaching. I think this gave me a better understanding of the impact and the reality of the bleaching.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your article, but I think there were some things you could improve on. I think it would have been helpful if you explained why Australia was effected the most and what was causing the heating there. I think it would have also been nice if Beth added more of her opinion into the article.
I thought this was a very interesting article overall. I think it is important to learn about stuff like this. If I had not read about this I would not have learned about how possibly devastating the loss of the reefs are.
Beth, I really enjoy reading your review of the article “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists.”I thought it was a very interesting topic choice, and felt you did an exceptional job at summarizing the article in a concise, yet inclusive manner. I also was very impressed by how you used quotes from the experts and statistics in the article to make your summary a more credible work. Finally I thought your critique of this piece did a very good job at analyzing the author's article and letting other readers know there are other place they could look for further information.
ReplyDeleteWhile your review was very good, I have a couple suggestions on things you could improve upon. For instance, I felt it would have benefitted the reader if you had elaborate further on why Australia is a center for coral reef studies.I also thought the map you mentioned in your review could have been a nice addition as some sort of visual may have helped readers.
I learned a lot of new information while reading Beth’s piece.The intrigue of the topic combined with Beth's superb writing style allowed me to really get hooked on her piece and take away a lot of new ideas For example, I didn't know that the bleaching of the reefs occurred when high heat caused the metabolism of algae to speed out of control, causing them to create toxin. This stress is what eventually causes the coral to starve to death.