ENV101 3-2
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School
Southern New Hampshire University *
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Course
101
Subject
Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by BaronInternet13403
ENV 101 Milestone One Worksheet
For Milestone One, you will select two resources from the list of government resources provided and respond to the questions below regarding the impact of the environmental issue you selected. Review this presentation on Utilizing Government Resources in Research for assistance in completing your research.
Note: You may complete this assignment in a separate Word document. If you choose to do so, be sure to number your responses to match the questions provided in the worksheet. Final Project Topic
Environmental Issue:
Loss of Biodiversity Local Community Affected:
Okinawa, Japan Government Resources
In this section, outline the two government resources that you will use to respond to the Milestone One questions below. Government Resource #1: Title:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Citation in APA format: Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Coral Reefs. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs
How does this resource relate to the environmental issue you chose? Does the information in the resource apply to your local community or your state? Explain.
This resource relates to the environmental issue I chose by providing information on everything relating to coral reefs from how to help preserve them and why it is important to do so. The information does apply to the local community I have chosen as there is a way to search by location. I have gone ahead and changed my state to Florida for the purposes of this project because there is no way to use the government sources provided for where I am currently stationed and decided to use my home of record for the assignment instead. Government Resource #2:
Title:
National Science Foundation Citation in APA format: National Science Foundation. (n.d.). Coral Reef Science and Technology Program. Retrieved from https://search.nsf.gov/search?query=coral+reef+florida+&affiliate=nsf&search= How does this resource relate to the environmental issue you chose? Does the information in the resource apply to your local community or your state? Explain.
This resource relates to the environmental issue I chose by providing scientific articles of study relating to coral reefs in Florida. The information in the resource can be filtered to show articles pertaining to coral reefs in the state of Florida only. Milestone One: Environmental Issue Questions
Respond to the following questions using the government resources cited above to support your responses.
1. What impact has this issue had on the environment within your community and your state?
This section should discuss impacts that represent either an environmental or ecological change in the community.
Example 1: The British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf Coast in Spring of 2010 caused an approximated 4.9 million barrels of oil to be released. This release created many hazards for the surrounding ecology and coastline immediately after the spill with many more issues still presenting today. Along the Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay area’s there is evidence of oil and cleaning material embedded in the sediment and beaches. Marine life was impacted with fatal birth defects found in large fish species such as the tuna and mass die offs occurred in dolphins particularly infants.
Example 2: Coal waste is collected into a slurry and injected into underground waste sites. This slurry can and often does come into contact with underground water supplies, this contaminated water then continues its path through the bedrock to lakes, ponds, and rivers. In 2008, the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee saw a containment area spill 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry waste into the Emory and Tennessee river area. Particularly at risk are the freshwater mussels living on the river sediment where there is the highest level of contamination. These mussels serve as a major food source for ducks, birds, and fish of the area. Coal ash spills are known to cause behavioral and physical problems in both vertebrates and invertebrates with deformations presenting in tadpoles and fish.
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Coral reef endangerment has had significant impacts on the environment in Florida. The loss of biodiversity, vulnerability to storms and coastal erosion, loss of economic activity associated with tourism and marine industries, and decreased water quality in surrounding areas are some of the key impacts surrounding the endangerment of the reefs. Coral reefs support a complex marine ecosystem that is essential for maintaining the ecological balance that Florida's coastal environment depends on. The coral reefs endangerment threatens the health of marine ecosystems and coastal communities, and the effects can be seen in different areas of study.
2. What impact has this issue had on human quality of life? Support your description with relevant examples.
This section will contain specific impacts related to human quality of life. If the response to the first question is heavily dependent on human health issues or economic loss, then this section would contain more specific information with examples.
Example 1: With economic stability slowly draining from the community, many members are being forced to vacate the area and seek alternative methods of employment that may not meet their needs, which creates a vacuum in the area’s economic stability as local busines
ses must shutter doors in response to decreased demand.
Example 2: As members of the community become sicker, there are fewer who remain to tend to the community. More school days are missed by both teachers and students, and more businesses remain closed. Alter
native water supply increases in costs as the city’s water continues to report higher and higher levels of lead, beyond 5000 ppm to date. •
The endangerment of coral reefs in Florida has had a significant impact on human quality of life due to the economic, ecological, and cultural services they provide. The loss of tourism revenue, fishing opportunities, and recreational activities associated with coral reefs place local economies and the livelihoods of those who depend on them in danger. Additionally, the loss of the coastal protection that the reefs provide leaves communities vulnerable to damage created by storms and erosion. Furthermore, the cultural value that coral reefs hold, as well as the scientific research conducted on them, is also threatened by lack of numbers. All these impacts degrade human quality of life as fewer opportunities for enjoyment, work, and cultural engagement with the coral reefs become available. 3. What impact has this issue had on the economy within your state or local community?
For this section, increase the level of details and examples of specific economic factors involved.
Example 1: As the mines close down along the river, the increase in unemployment will continue. Without any options, large sections of the working force will be lost due to relocation. One possible solution to this is the cleanup process that will begin once the mines are officially closed. Many job opportunities will be provided to alleviate the loss of employment as well as specialty training opportunities.
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Example 2: As the community watches the water situation worsen and the people become sicker, there is a prompt response to leave. Due to the poisonous levels of contamination, house values have sunken, preventing many homeowners from being able to leave the situation without great and unaffordable losses.
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The endangerment of coral reefs in Florida has had a significant impact on the economy in the area. The coral reefs provide natural habitats for a vast array of marine life which attracts tourists to Florida to snorkel and scuba dive. The decline in coral reefs that are still healthy, and living has caused a decline in tourist revenue in recent years. The collapse of the reef system has also caused a decline in marine population which ultimately affects the local fishing industry. The economic value of fishing in Florida declined immensely over the past twenty years due to the impacts of coral reef endangerment. The economy of Florida is highly dependent on the marine ecosystem and the endangerment of the coral reefs in the area pose a significant threat to the economy of the state as a whole.