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