chapter 1 coasts part 4
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 1: Coasts
Chong Boon Secondary School Pure Geography
Physical Geography
Part 4 :Week 4
Mini Test 1
• Wave Structure– Height, length, frequency, crest, trough
• Factors that affect wave strength• Coastal Erosional processes• Erosional landforms• Sediment transportation process
Lesson 7
Key thinking questions
• How valuable are our coastlines to you?
• How valuable are coastlines to a country?
• What are some ways a country can gain profit from coasts?
Gateway 2 – Why are coastal areas valuable?
1. What are the four key ecosystem services obtainable from coasts?
2. How do coastal environments support human activities?
3. What is a coral reef ecosystem? 4. What is a mangrove ecosystem?
Ecosystem services from the coAST
• Coastal ecosystem can provide humans with a wide range of services1. Provisioning services2. Regulating services3. Cultural services4. Supporting services
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Provisioning services• Providing of resources and
products• Fish and other seafood: caught
directly from the sea and provides main dietary protein for more than one billion people
• Water: bays can be deepened to build harbours
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Provisioning services (cont…)• Water: wave and tidal energy can be
harnessed to generate electricity• Building materials:
– wood from mangrove trees used as building material
– corals crushed to manufacture cement– shells and corals used to make
ornaments
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Regulating services• The coastal ecosystem can
help to protect the coasts from hazards
• Shoreline stabilization: coral reefs and mangrove swamps help to reduce wave energy and impact of wave erosion
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Regulating services (cont…)• Flood prevention:
– Wide beaches help to disperse water– Sand dunes and berms help to
prevent water from advancing inland– Mangroves and lagoons help to
contain large amounts of water
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Cultural services• Refers to non-material or intangible
benefits• Recreational benefits: water activities• Aesthetic benefits• Spiritual benefits: Tanah Lot (Bali),
various Mazu temples in Chinese-dominated regions
Ecosystem services from the coAST
Supporting services• Where coastal ecosystems support the
services by sustaining a wide range of habitats
• Eg mangrove and beach habitats• Provide breeding and nesting grounds,
protection from predators and provision of food supply
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Fishery and aquaculture• Fishery: an area where fishes are bred• Aquaculture: human activity of fish
farming in fisheries• Eg Ca Mau, Vietnam• Southern part of Vietnam• 60,000 hectares of mangroves cleared
for building material, charcoal, etc
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Fishery and aquaculture (cont…)• Shrimp production moved into these
cleared areas• Shrimp breeding ponds constructed from
mud and concrete• Record high production of US$800
million in 2010
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Fishery and aquaculture (cont…)• However there are negative
environmental effects from clearing of mangroves
• Move towards organic shrimp farming that does not require clearing of mangrove swamps
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Housing and transportation• Stilt houses can be built to allow people
to live directly on the sea• Movement and transport can be through
boats• Eg Kukup, Malaysia• Located in Peninsula Malaysia, 25km
west of Singapore
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Housing and transportation (cont…)• About 180 stilt houses with floating fish
farms in Air Masin• Walkways connect the houses and allow
people to move within the community• Boats are also employed for people to
move around and carry out daily activities
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Housing and transportation (cont…)• Schedules ferry services to Kukup Island• Currently an attractive tourist destination
for seafood and sightseeing• Main income from tourism• Also through sale of marine products
such as dried fish and prawns
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Tourism and recreation• Eg Sentosa, Singapore• Located 500m south from main island of
Singapore• Many developments capitalise on
proximity to the coast• ONEo15 Marina Club: harbour and
wharves provide maintenance services for boats and yachts
HUMAN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COAST
Tourism and recreation (cont…)• Resorts World Sentosa: waterfront
hotels, museum and marine life park• Other attractions include a chain of
artificial beaches on the southern coast and exclusive residential area on the west end
• 19 million visitors in 2011 (600% increase from 2003)
Pitstop 7
• For discussion in class:– Qn 3
• For homework:– Qn 4, 5 & 6
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – WHAT?
• Living structures found slightly below the sea level on the seabed
• Polyps – animals that secrete calcium carbonate to protect themselves
• Corals – the limestone skeleton of polyps
• Symbiosis – mutually beneficial relationship between the polyps and microscopic algae
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – WHAT?
• Polyps – supply algae with nutrients and carbon dioxide
• Algae – provide polyps with sugars and oxygen
• The presence of algae also give corals their distinctive colours
• When polyps die, their limestone skeleton is left behind
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – WHere?
Refer to fig. 1.54 on pg. 42 • Found mainly between 23.5o north and
south of the equator• Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn• Pacific Ocean: South East Asia (about
70,000km2, North of Australia (Great Barrier Reef)
• Indian Ocean: Maldives, Madagascar• Atlantic Ocean: Caribbean islands
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – Conditions
• High sea surface temperatures, 17 – 18oC
• Strong wave action to bring in food & oxygen, and to wash away sedimentation
• Average salinity• Clear water, low level of turbidityWhy are these conditions necessary?
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – value
• Habitat: breeding grounds for fishes, shelter from predators, provide food for large fishes
• Coastal protection: help to reduce wave energy and impact of coastal erosion
• Recreation: coral reefs as prime diving sites for tourism, build coastal resorts
• Resource: coral fragments can be made into ornaments and jewellery
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – pressures
• Coral reefs around the world face constant pressure from human activities and natural processes
• In SE Asia, about 95% of the reefs’ existence are under threat
• Pressures come mainly from coastal developments, pollution and climate change caused by human activities
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM – pressures
GROUP PRESENTATIONTopic: Pressures that threaten the existence of coral reefs/mangroves• Explanation of the “pressure”• Examples of places where it is
happening• Suggestions on solutions• Each group will be assigned the topic
and type of pressure