CORAL REEF

indonesia is a country with a large sea area that is larger than on the mainland, with a great sea automatically have that many coral reefs, and coral reefs in the process aslimilasi may be possible to absorb carbon (carbon sinks).

"the issue of absorption of carbon through the media this coral reef should be a topic main discussion in the Conference Marine World or the World Ocean Conference (WOC)and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) in Manado, 11-14 May 2009 "was presented
Kurnaen Sumadiharga (Researcher field Oseanografi Indonesian Institute of Science



He explains, fotosintesa process may be done by the plants that have leaves or chlorophyll klorofil. According to him, coral reefs consist of elements from the animals called coral polyp that do mutualisme symbiosis with plants alga, the green seaweed.

"This alga plants do indeed fotosintesa process, even in the water," he said. Fotosintesa process, he said, require carbon dioxide (CO2) and sunlight, then produce oxygen (O2), water and sugar. The CO2 which is the main material fotosintesa process, he said, is also available in the sea.

He said that, at night, while coral reefs do not asimilasi, this plant would produce CO2. "Carbon is produced at night is what becomes the main material of a fotosintesa process," he said.

Therefore, he continued, the existence of coral reefs should be maintained and utilized as well as possible to anticipate the change of climate at this time is not stabilized.

Deputy Assistant Damage Control of Marine and Coastal Conservation Improvement Deputy Natural Resources State of the Ministry of the Environment Revelation Indraningsih menuturkan, the existence of coral reefs in Indonesia should be strongly guarded. According to him, other than caused by the use of explosive materials, global climate change some time this is also one of the causes of damage to coral reefs.

He says, result in climate change to increase sea-water temperature. "The temperature of sea water rose 2-3 degrees Celsius in two consecutive days caused damage to coral reefs," he said. Conditions such as this, he continued, also has begun, there are indications in the territory of Indonesia.