Group C Article
Ecotourism both positively and negatively affects tourist attractions, such as the one in Trinidad. Ecotourism positively affects awareness and attitudes in the tourist attraction by bringing significant financial benefits. Ecotourism is an important source of income for many people, supplying cities with more jobs as well. However, Ecotourism negatively affects conservation behaviors, by destroying marine life such as precious coral reefs. In my opinion, the negatives of Ecotourism outweigh the positives.
Group D Article
Many ships carry marine invasive species that could harm the environment. Some of the invasive species include diseases, rats, and largely unnoticed marine organisms. One major problem is ballast water in ballast tanks. In some tanks, there are as many as 10,000 different species that are being transported and could harm marine life.
Group E Article
Artificial reefs are man-made reefs that are used to promote marine life. They are made of random objects, such as tires, concrete blocks, and ships. A natural reef is a complex marine ecosystem comprised of anemones, bryozoans, hydroids, sponges, and fish. In the article, an experiment was conducted that measured the amount if fish in an artificial reef and natural reef. Studies found that more species and more fish were found in the artificial reef rather than the natural reef over time. However, artificial reefs are debatable, because there are some ethical issues involved.
Group F Article
Chronic oil discharges greatly affect marine life. In the article, a study was conducted in Newfoundland to see how many seabirds died from oil. The average seabird mortality in the study was 315,200 plus or minus 45,600. This illustrates that chronic oil spills greatly affects marine life and their surroundings.
