A Reef in Time- Book Review

"A Reef in Time: The Great Barrier Reef from Beginning to End" is a book by J. E. N. Veron published in the year 2008. Veron is a systematic, geologist and revolutionalist which made him compose this amazing book that was published Belknap Press in Cambridge. The book has 16 chapters having detailed notes, several figures and a glossary. Throughout the entire book, the author accounts for the Greatest Barrier Reef and the largest coral reef globally. The book goes further in details explaining the story of coral reefs forms in various parts of the world, providing a scientific detailed of how these reefs form.

One main point the author discusses is the process which coral reefs forms. The start by explaining that coral reefs are the largest biological structures in the living organism ecosystem. Coral reefs comprises of stony corals made up of calcium carbonate formed under the water. The organisms creating the coral reefs are known as coral polyps which exist in large colonies of thousands and this great number helps them build large reefs. However, these colonies of coral polyps take a span of geographic time to fully create a mature coral reef. Once a structure coral structure establishes, a symbiotic relationship develops between the coral polyps and single-cell plants. The singe-cell plant provides respiration requirements which helps to strengthen e the entire structure while in return the plants receives photosynthesis requirements. As this relationship continues, the reef continues to enlarge.

Another important point that the author discusses in the book concerns the Great Barrier Reef in Australia which existed for many years only to be destroyed through climate change. The author relates the coral reef to the amazing natural features in the world such as the Amazon forest or parkland regions of Africa. Scientists have named this Great Barrier Reef of Australia as one of the Seven Wonders of the world. The author describes the Great Barrier Reef as one of the largest coral reef globally extending over to 2300 kilometers squared. This Great Barrier Reef is a whole system structure made up of more than 2900 smaller reefs. The books further explains that the reef extends from the Coast of Queensland into the Coral sea which has acted as a habitat for millions of living organisms over the years.

The book explains further that there has been efforts in protecting the Great Barrier Reef especially from the human activities that may alter it's structure despite the negative implications climate change has created on the reef. From the book, the main threats to the reef are fishing, tourism and pollution that tend to affect the living organisms. Any interference towards the living organisms on the reef will mark the end of reef structure formation. For example, the author states that this Great Barrier Reef has lost almost half of it's coral cover over the last 35 years.

The author further expounds more on how climate change has negatively affected coral reefs due to the presence of increased carbon dioxide. Climate change has resulted to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which has in return resulted to the formation of acid rain. Presence of acid rain especially along coastal regions have increased the acid content in the ocean water. Acidity in ocean water means that living organisms that have shells made up of carbonates such as coral polyps cannot survive. Absence of these living organisms such as coral polyps in the ocean waters means that formation of coral reefs will not be possible.

Another important point that the author presents in the book is how scholars have defined coral reefs over there years. For example, the author account how Charles Darwin defined coral reefs basing on the 19th Century geology approach. The researchers that followed later depending developed unique approaches towards coral reefs and other marine life. However, the book explains that most of marine life researchers have not been a position to account fully on marine life mystery since the origins of ocean structures such as coral reefs date back to million years ago. In regard to this marine history, the book explains how other geological events such as earthquakes, movements of tectonic plates and volcanic activities have negatively affected the formation of coral reefs.

One way through which the book has improved my knowledge of coral reefs is that the book has pointed out that the colors of a coral reef are determined by the colors the coral polyps eat. Most of coral polyps consume a diet comprising of algae and this diet gives the polyps the beautiful arrays. Also, the book explains that amazing colors of polyps are durable as long as the coral surfaces are not negatively implicated. For example, it is important for the coral reefs to receive enough sunlight for their survival meaning that they need to be protected from soil sediments.

Another way the book has improved my knowledge of coral reef is that the book explains that coral reefs have a slow growth compared to other living organisms. From the book, coral reefs grow to a length of 2 to 10 centimeters annually depending on other external factors. For example, the rate of coral reef growth in hot region is faster than the rate of growth in a colder region, therefore temperature is a factor. Another factor determining the growth rate of coral reefs is presence of stronger waves. The book states that coral reefs will grow in regions having stronger waves moving in shores. The reason why coral reefs will do well in regions with stronger waves is that these strong waves carry food from the deep waters to the shores where the coral polyps will access them easily.