Week 8 Assignment – Coral Reefs

Overview

In this assignment, you will research and then analyze threats to and the protection of coral reefs, one of the most biologically diverse and threatened ecosystems on earth.

Instructions

Write a 3–5 page paper in which you:

    Explain why coral reefs are important to ocean life, humans, and the overall environment.

    Describe three major threats to coral reefs, including an explanation as to why these threats are occurring.

    Outline for each threat a strategy to protect the coral reefs (a total of three strategies).

    Explain for each strategy the benefits and costs of implementation.

    Determine for each strategy whether it needs to be voluntary or mandated by local, federal, or international law and policies.

    Recommend for each strategy how it can be enforced by local, federal, or international authorities.

    Use at least three academic resources, in addition to your textbook:

        Review the Week 7 discussion, Useful Resources on Coral Reefs, you can use the resources you identified in this discussion for the paper.

        Good places to start your research include Strayer University Online Library, Google Scholar, and government websites, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | U.S. Department of Commerce. Key terms likely to produce useful results include ocean acidification, coral bleaching, and ocean temperature.

        Reminder: Wikipedia and personal blogs do not qualify as quality resources.

Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:

    Use the Coral Reefs Template [DOCX] as a guide to writing your paper. Be sure to include all of the headings and address the questions underneath each heading. Also, refer to Example of Coral Reefs Paper [DOCX].

    This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

    Analyze the negative and positive impacts of human interaction with a specified ecosystem.

Note: To stimulate your thinking you may find it useful to review this sample paper on the protection of coral reefs. The sample paper shows you how a student successfully completed this assignment. This is included only to stimulate your thinking. You may choose to take a somewhat different approach