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Reef Ecosystem

Reef Ecosystem

The state of the Reef Ecosystem is the condition, in terms of quantity and quality, of the abiotic and biotic components including physical, chemical, and biological variables.

CMap

Biological monitoring is the use of a biological entity as a detector and its response as a measure to determine environmental conditions. Contact Uses, such as biological additions, physical damage, and biological harvesting, are activities in which humans create pressures through direct contact with the ecosystem. Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, recreational opportunities, aesthetic experiences, sense of place, and educational and research opportunities. Discharges are the intentional or unintentional distribution of chemicals, debris, or other pollution, into the environment as a consequence of human activities. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems . Environmental monitoring describes the processes and activities that need to take place to characterize and monitor the quality of the physical and chemical environment. Invasive species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are foreign to a particular environment, and whose introduction may be detrimental when invasives compete with or consume native species. Landscape Changes are alterations of the natural landscape through human activities, including coastal development, shoreline armoring, impervious surfaces, deforestation, or soil disturbance, which can alter water flow patterns and lead to pollutant runoff into coastal systems. Microorganisms are microscopic plants or animals, such as cyanobacteria and disease-causing pathogens that live in coral reef ecosystems. The Reef Ecosystem includes a suite of abiotic variables that form the physical and chemical environment. Pressures are human activities that create stress on the environment. Provisioning services are the products or ecosystem goods obtained from ecosystems, including seafood, genetic and biochemical resources, pharmaceuticals, ornamental resources, and water resources. The state of the Reef Ecosystem is the condition, in terms of quantity and quality, of the abiotic and biotic components including physical, chemical, and biological variables. Reef Habitat is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the benthic components of the reef ecosystem. Reef Inhabitants are all of the motile components of the reef ecosystem, including fish, invertebrates, marine reptiles and mammals, and are quantified by their abundance, distribution, and condition. Reef Life is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the biological components of the coral reef ecosystem. Regulating Services are benefits obtained from ecosystem processes that regulate the environment, including erosion regulation, natural hazard regulation, and climate regulation. Responses are actions taken by groups or individuals in society and government to prevent, compensate, ameliorate or adapt to changes in Ecosystem Services or their perceived value. Socio-Economic Drivers include the sectors that fulfill human needs for Food & Raw Materials, Water, Shelter, Health, Culture, and Security, and the Infrastructure that supports the sectors. Supporting services are ecological processes that indirectly benefit humans by maintaining a functional ecosystem for the production of other ecosystem goods and services. A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally.

CMap Description

Changes in the quality and functioning of the Reef Ecosystem have an impact on the welfare or well-being of humans through the provision of Ecosystem Services. Many reef species also provide Supporting Services which maintain the functioning of the Ecosystem. Often the Drivers which benefit from the Ecosystem are the same drivers which exert Pressures on the ecosystem through their activities, including Discharges of pollutants which alter the Physical & Chemical Environment and Contact Uses which directly affect the survival, growth, & reproduction of Reef Life. Humans make decisions in Response to the impacts on Ecosystem Services or their perceived value. Responses may seek to better understand or preserve the Reef Ecosystem through monitoring or restoration activities.

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