The effects of global warming have had devastating effects on the coral reefs found in the Belize Barrier Reef, where the Great Blue Hole is found. Increased water temperatures due to the El Nino effect have caused a large portion of the coral in the reef to bleach and die. The death of the coral also means the death of the algae that is essential to the health of the coral reef ecosystem. No algae means less photosynthesis, which means less absorption of carbon dioxide and lower oxygen levels in the water. This interrupts the balance of the atmospheric gases that help make up the composition of seawater, which can result in the degradation of the habitat of the organisms that inhabit the region.
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| Dead Staghorn Corals in Belize's Barrier Reef |
A main contributor to global warming is human activity. Humans need to reduce pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases, coastal development and over-fishing, which all have an impact on the ecosystem of the region. If humans continue to have such a negative impact on the environment, ecosystems like those present in the Great Blue Hole are at risk of habitat degradation.
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