SCI200 Week 4 Importance of Protecting the Coral Reefs Assignment Assignment 1: Coral Reefs Due Week 4 Coral reefs are among the most biologically di

SCI200 Week 4 Importance of Protecting the Coral Reefs Assignment Assignment 1: Coral Reefs

Due Week 4

Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. They are also among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. For this assignment, you will discuss the importance of, threats to, and protection of, coral reefs.

Write a three to five page (3-5) paper in which you:

Describe three (3) reasons coral reefs are important to ocean life then determine two (2) potential benefits coral reefs provide to both humans and the overall environment. Next propose three (3) economic or aesthetic benefits of coral reefs, and then explain which benefit you believe is most significant. Justify your response.
Discuss three (3) threats that coral reefs are currently facing. Then, for each of your chosen threats, suggest two (2) reasons why these threats are occurring.
Propose two (2) strategies to protect coral reef systems from the threats you mentioned in Section 2, with special consideration to the costs and benefits of each of the protection methods.
Discuss whether or not you believe that the two (2) protection strategies you described in Section 3 should be implemented. Next, take a stance on whether you believe these actions should be strictly voluntary, or mandated by local, federal, or international law. Predict two (2) kinds of enforcement methods you believe would be most effective in ensuring their success.
Use at least three (3) quality resources / references in this assignment, in addition to the course text. Note: Wikipedia and personal blogs do not qualify as quality resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Assess the various methods used to understand natural phenomena and the human impact on it, and analyze the steps taken to protect the environment.
Compare and analyze various ecosystems in terms of their living and nonliving components.
Critically evaluate sources of information about environmental science and communicate them effectively.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in environmental science.
Write clearly and concisely about environmental science using proper writing mechanics.

Discussion

“Human Population Growth” Note: Online students please respond to one (1) of the following three (3) bulleted options:

The Chapter 4 Case Study in your textbook describes the recent reduction in population growth in Brazil. Suggest two (2) lessons that can be learned by Brazil’s experience that could be put into place elsewhere to reduce population growth. Next determine the major links between wealth, birth rates, and shared environment within the United States and Brazil. Speculate on one (1) way that a country could attain a sustainable population; then, provide a rationale explaining why you selected that method.

In your own words, describe the demographic transition model as to its effects on population growth; then, take a stance as to whether or not you believe demographic transition is sufficient to produce sustainable population sizes. At the end of the demographic transition, population sizes often decline; speculate whether or not you believe this is a potential problem for future human populations. Justify your response.

Figure 4.10 in your textbook shows age-class diagrams for three (3) different countries. Discuss two (2) ways that the shape of these diagrams can be used to predict future population growth in the regions that they cover. Next, describe what you believe the age-class diagram of the United States looks like, and what it says about our future population growth.