Coral Reefs And Bleaching Phenomenon Essay -- essays research papers

Imagine yourself observing one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Thousands of species of plants and animals provide a dizzying array of color and motion. Massive structures provide a canopy that shelters hundreds of exotic species in a myriad of microclimates. As land-based observers, we almost automatically assume that this is a description of the rich ecosystem of a tropical rainforest. However, if we take ourselves off the safety of dry land and immerse ourselves in the ocean, we will find an equally dynamic environment in the depths of our world’s coral reefs. As a Zoology major, I quickly decided to explore this biological component of the ocean environment. In the following paper, I will provide a general overview of coral reefs and examine the alarming depletion of coral and their ecological symbionts in a process known as coral bleaching.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As mentioned earlier, coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive of all communities on Earth. They are also the largest biological structures on the planet. The Great Barrier Reef, along the eastern coast of Australia, covers over 2000 kilometers and is said to be visible from the moon (Goreau, 1987). While the size of coral reefs can be enormous, their real impact is on a much smaller scale. Reefs function as food and shelter for fish and marine invertebrates. While the coral itself is an animal, through a symbiotic relationship with the unicellular algae, coral becomes the primary producer in its ocean ecosystem (Richmond 1993). The reefs are formed by calcium carbonate deposits produced by the coral polyps. According to the legendary Cousteau, in his book The Ocean World, tube worms and mollusks also donate their hard skeletons to the architecture of the growing reef (174). Biologically active compounds are also produced by reef dwelling organisms an d posses antimicrobial and antiviral properties (Van Alstyne 1988). In fact, coral produces a natural sunscreen that is currently marketed and also holds promise in generating chemicals for AIDS and cancer research. In 1995, researchers mimicked the structural components of coral and now use the patented super hard compound to repair shattered human bones (Alderage 1995). Further more, coral reefs are naturally extremely productive fishing grounds. In fact, healthy reefs produce up to 10-100 times more yield per unit a... ...pear, the fate of one of the world’s most diverse ecosystem remains to be seen. Bibliography Alderage, Susan. April 1995. â€Å"Coral :Replacement for Human Bones.† Focus Magazine. P45(46) Brown, B.E., Odgen, J.C. 1993. â€Å"Coral Bleaching.† Scientific American, 269:64-70 Cohen, Anne L.; Lobel, Phillip S. Oct. 1997. â€Å"Coral Bleaching on the Johnston Atoll.† The Biological Bulletin. V193: n2. P276(4). â€Å"Coral Color.† November 1997. Discover Magazine-Current Clips. P10 Cousteau, J. Y. 1985. The Ocean World. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 174-175. Goreau, Thomas. August 1987. â€Å"Coral and Coral Parks.† Scientific American. V113:34-36 Luoma, Jon R. Nov. 1996. â€Å"Reef Madness† Audubon. V98: n6. P24(3). Richmond, R. H. 1993. â€Å"Coral Reefs: Present problems and Future Concerns Resulting form Athropogenic Disturbence.† American Zoologist. V33: P524-536. Van Alstyne, K. L. and V. J. Paul. 1988. â€Å"The Role of Secondary Metabolites in Marine Ecological Interactions.† Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Australia, Vol. 1. Wilkinson, C. R. 1987. â€Å"Interocean Differences in Size and Nutrition of Coral Reef Sponge Populations.† Science, Vol. 236: P1654-1657.

Right to Check Employees’ Backgrounds

In my opinion, employers should have the right to check applicants’ backgrounds whether or not suspicion of misbehavior, security threats, credit histories, driving offenses etcetera exist. This will ensure employers or companies that they won’t have any ‘problematic employees’ in within the organization. However, even if this should be a right held by the employers, companies, organizations, etcetera, the law states that the they â€Å"do not have unlimited rights to dig into an applicant’s background and personal life† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. . ). This means that there are certain ‘checks’ that these employers, companies, organizations, etcetera cannot pursue simply because it is forbidden by the law and they can be charged in court if they push through with unlimited ‘checks’ (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). The following are the background checks that may be done including the limitations set by the law: First is with regards to â€Å"credit reports† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. . ). The restriction set by the law for this is known as â€Å"the Fair Credit Reporting Act† wherein employers, companies, organizations, etcetera are obliged to obtain a formal â€Å"written consent† coming from the employee/applicant before the former could see the latter’s â€Å"credit report† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). The second entails â€Å"criminal records† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Employers, organizations, companies, etcetera may look into an applicant’s criminal records but this should be done through their lawyer or they should consult the â€Å"Federal Bureau of Investigation† especially if they need an â€Å"employee background investigation† to be carried out or if they wanted to make sure that the applicant has not been involved in violation of the following: â€Å"antitrust laws, trade secret laws, intellectual property laws, economic sabotage, as well as, anti-terrorism laws† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). The third involves â€Å"lie detector tests† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. . ). The use of the aforementioned may be allowed only by employers whose businesses involve: â€Å"armored car services, alarm/guard services, pharmaceutical manufacturing & distribution, etc† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Employers, therefore cannot just make an employee/applicant undergo â€Å"lie detector tests† because the latter is protected by the â€Å"Employee Polygraph Protection Act† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). The fourth is with regards to ‘health check’ (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Here, an employer, organization, company, etcetera can always ask the health expert or the health institution if an employee can carry out a certain task; however one cannot ask for the entire medical record of an employee or applicant because doing so is a violation of the â€Å"Americans with Disabilities Act† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). In addition to that, health institutions would not give in to such an employer’s request because â€Å"confidentiality of medical records† is a part of the â€Å"American Medical Association’s Code of Ethics†; legal issues will emerge if they violate this (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. . ). Last but not least pertains to the school records of an applicant (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Fortunately, these may be scrutinized by employers however they should be able to get the applicant’s approval before they carry that out (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Applicants are protected because of the â€Å"Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act† (US Small Business Administration, 2008, n. p. ). Employers then should have the right to check on applicants’ backgrounds but only to a certain extent and only those which the law allows.

All About Me .

Shadira Andrews Writing #5 Night My whole heart stopped when I saw the blood dripping from my arm. Today was a regular day but my whole life changed. It was a sunny day with my cousins, sister, friends and I when suddenly I get a huge scar on my right back-hand. It might look like a burn but it’s not, it’s a terrible long lasting scar. This raggedy old scar is about nine years old but I still remember every single detail of how this happened. An almost trip to the hospital wasn’t supposed to happen with just a game of basketball that I wasn’t playing.This almost fun day was one of the worst days of my life; this was the night of my life. Why do we have to play tag? This game makes me very exhausted but I have to other wise my crush is going to think I am fat. I am going to need about five bottles of Gatorade to stay energized though. We played tag around the school-yard for about 15 minutes but I had to use the restroom so I told everyone that I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Just before I was completely out of the yard my sister called my name to ask me to get her something from the house.The next thing you know a boy ends up accidently knocking me unto the floor and I slide across the concrete. If I was car and I was making a sharp turn you would only hear me screaking. The boy was playing basketball and I happened to stop right in front of the basketball court. I can’t believe I’m lying on this concrete with nothing but blood and a boy I don’t even know next to me. I blacked out for a moment and couldn’t hear anything, it was so silent but everyone talked. All I could see and remember is the faces on everyone’s face.My sister looked as if she was having a baby, and the boy looked as if he saw something ghastly. Everyone was panicking but what I couldn’t get out of my head is the fact that my stockings ripped; those were new stockings that my mom finally got me so you could say m y facial expression was being annoyed and irritated. By now I have snapped out of my black out. My cousins helped me up while the shamefaced boy offered me bandages. I just remember I really have a full bladder right about now.Night, pain, dusk, and agony is all that filtered the air as I was being carried by a dozen of my relatives, I mean come on was I that heavy did my crush need to know I needed half of dozen people carrying me. All I was thinking was â€Å"Am I going to get into trouble for ripping my brand new stockings? † As soon as I got into the house my dad asked what happened and I just said â€Å"I fell. † I didn’t want my chaos to turn into a royal rumble or something. My dad did the worst thing ever! He grabs alcohol, peroxide, and everything else that’s expected to stings.I automatically start to cry knowing that the felling will soon be excruciating pain. Of course I hate pain and honesty I didn’t feel anything when my skin came off my right back-hand; but when my dad put that alcohol on my open wound I could have said every curse word in the book. Right about now I was speaking gibberish, the pain was unbearable and I couldn’t understand why my dad didn’t just take me to the hospital he is not a doctor. I guess you could say a dad is anything and everything it needs to be at the time being.Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin a week. My hand was throbbing and I couldn’t move it or think about it because that just made the situation worst. I tried a lot of things to make the pain fade away. I tried eating ice cream, going to sleep, and even putting a cold rag around the bandage nothing worked. Then, everyone decided to leave me in the house by myself. My mom and dad had to work and my siblings just took it upon themselves to go outside and not tell me. I looked at the clock and it’s approximately five minutes to 12 when there is a kno ck on the door.Now I am not going to lie I was little scared to answer the door since it was so late so since I was short I climbed on the couch’s leg and looked throw the peep hole. It was my crush! Was he going to make fun of me, let’s see? Everything I did our little conversation was the only thing that helped me block out the pain, of course I was blushing he was adorable. I was finally coming into the house with a smile on my face today and that smile easily went away when I saw the time on my round clock, it said it was 12:11 A. M.In conclusion, today was the worst day ever I got hurt pretty bad with a scar that will be on my back-hand for life and I for the first time ever I now know what pain really feels like. I also have a fear of basketball now no lie; every time I play basketball I always seem to get hurt either I get hit in the head with the ball or I hurt my fingers and they become swollen. Every time someone ask me what happened to my hand and if I were burnt, I say no and I have to summarize this whole story. I try not to remember and forget but I can’t forget that pain. â€Å"Pain has an element of blank† Emily Dickinson.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Analysis

Jacob Wilson 14 February 2013 Professor Horan The Bold Farquhar Ambrose Bierce allows the reader to have a glimpse of Peyton Farquhar’s character, while he is on a bridge being prepared to hang by Union soldiers. Farquhar is portrayed as a wealthy, high-class planation owner who is receiving punishment for attempting to destroy the Owl Creek Bridge. While Farquhar does not have an actual affiliation with the Confederate Army due to his high social rank, he does have a prideful obsession with pursuing glory; he only desires the praise that comes with differentiating himself from the rest.Peyton Farquhar is illustrated as a â€Å"well-to-do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family. † All of the joys associated with wealth, property, and political power are his, thus he yearns to be recognized as going the extra mile. The simple phrase â€Å"opportunity for distinction† summarizes the meaning behind his quest for even more fame. Peyton will use all res ources available to accomplish this desire. When the â€Å"larger than life† soldier, Peyton Farquhar, is sitting with his wife on his property, an exciting opportunity presents itself following a conversation with a Confederate soldier in disguise.Farquhar is tempted to pursue an honorable act, and that he does. After the soldier explains the situation, Farquhar smiles as he ponders the opportunity, â€Å"Suppose a man—a civilian and student of hanging – should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel . . . what could he accomplish? † The chance of delaying the northern troops is too great a temptation for Peyton to resist. The conceited politician reveals his true pursuit: glory and honor. The wealthy civilian immediately decides to burn the bridge.Farquhar may have better protected his livelihood had he not been so enthused to destroy the bridge. As it turns out, â€Å"That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all i n war time. Meanwhile he did what he could. No service was too humble for him to perform in aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier†. So great was his devotion to the South and his chase for prominence that nothing could get in his way. Armed with a plethora of pride and a fearless spirit, Farquhar is apprehended while attempting to destroy the bridge.The reader is continually reminded of Farquhar’s bravado. He perceives himself well in every aspect that defines a superior human. During the period Farquhar constructs from imagination his escape, while he in is the creek, he praises his accurate shooting. While his method is very sly, upon further investigation it is also very boastful. â€Å"He observed that it was a grey eye and remembered having read that grey eyes were keenest, and that all famous marksmen had them. Nevertheless, this one had missed. † Early in t he story Bierce specifically recognizes that Farquhar has grey eyes.Though it be discreet, it is yet another charge in favor of his selfish pride. The physical features of a man in his mid-thirties are not expected to be pristine, although Farquhar would qualify as an exception. Specific detail is added in two paragraphs deciphering every aspect of his superiority. It is comical that Farquhar is simply experiencing a daydream. Nonetheless, minute details are thought up in his head. â€Å"He was now in full possession of his physical senses. They were, indeed, preternaturally keen and alert.Something in the awful disturbance of his organic system had so exalted and refined them that they made record of things never before perceived. He felt ripples upon the face . . . saw the individual trees, the leaves and veining of each leaf—saw the very insects upon them . . . The humming of the knats that danced above the eddies. † The details may have been so easily described due to a mass of emotions rushing through the brain of the one to be executed, but a large piece of boastfulness again presents itself by the confidence and belief Farquhar still possesses at this point.

Hospice and Palliative Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Hospice and Palliative Care - Essay Example According to the discussion the data was collected, taking into consideration what would be applicable for the client ´s care in a delicate manner. It was collected at the Hospice of Central Ohio and at the Palliative Care of Central Ohio. The information was gathered from the centers. The objectives of these organizations are to work closely with the death processes and all of those involved with it. The target audience is everyone that is involved with the dying processes.From this paper it is clear that the services rendered by these organizations are covered by Medicaid and Medicare benefits and most of them provide insurance. These two organizations are non-profit organizations. These services are related to the course because they provides help and they want to improve the society by informing it of death issues, services and ways in which they are able to assist their dying loved one and ways in which they are able to overcome the death loss. The strengths of these organizat ions are that they provide support to the client and their families, such as, how to cope with illnesses. They also ensure that the clients and their famillies are receiving the best possible care. The possible weaknesses are that they may not be available during their entire grieving process. They may, however, be referred to other specialists that may help them for a longer period of time.  On an overall basis, the assessment of these services are positive. There are 200 trained volunteers.  

Analysis of Marketing Mix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Analysis of Marketing Mix - Research Paper Example The marketing strategy of a business organization is seen to be embedded in its marketing mix decisions. The marketing mix is a set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its objectives in the target market. McCarthy classified these four broad groups that he called the four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion, and place (Kotler 2003). Qantas (an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) is the world's second oldest continuously running independent and Australia's largest airline. The firm traces its roots in November 1920 when it operated air mail services subsidized by the Australian government. Through the years, the airline has significantly developed and evolved into an international carrier. With its fleet of 200 aircraft, Qantas flies to more than 80 destinations in about 40 countries and to some 20 cities in Australia (Qantas 2006). During the fiscal year ended June 2005, the company reported $9,632.1 million in total revenue representing double-digit annual growth of 23.0%. Out of this huge revenue, profits realized $579.5 net profit. The airline currently employs 38,000 employees to man its various business operations. It should be noted that the number of employees has increased by 12.2% from the previous year. This significantly indicates Qantas' aggressive expansion (Hoover 2006). Currently, Qantas continues to be one of the market leaders in the global air transportation industry. Its main international hubs are Sydney Kingsford-Smith airport and Melbourne International Airport, followed by Singapore Changi Airport. However, Qantas operates a significant amount of international flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport, London Heathrow, Brisbane International Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport, and Perth International Airport. Its domestic hubs are Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane airports, but the company also has a strong presence in Perth, Adelaide, Cairns and Canberra Airports (Qantas 2006). This impressive performance of Qantas, which makes it the world's leading long distance airline and one of Australia's strongest brands, can be directly attributed to its well-laid marketing strategy. Included in these are the crucial decisions on product, price, promotion, and place. Qantas, as an airline, is primarily involved in offering passenger transportation and air freight to its market. However, we can see that the product portfolio of Qantas also includes other associated business operations like in-flight catering, and holiday and travel operations (Qantas website 2006).

The concept of Deterrence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The concept of Deterrence - Essay Example There are a number of hindrances to deterrence, for example, the level of literacy to the group being deterred can cause a major challenge. Another challenge as Bunn put it that, deterrence to a certain extent towards the non-state actors/terrorists could be seen as an oxymoron, because of their suicidal nature (Bunn, p.4). Looking back at the situation during the cold war deterrence was not a very useful strategy. Evidenced by Almog in his article, US and Soviet Union both used deterrence against each other but failed to prevent the Korean War and Vietnam War (5). He further goes ahead and explains that deterrence can work against non-state actors. For example he gives the situation in Israel where deterrence has worked for over 50yrs and still practiced successfully (6). Almog suggest that for the war on deterrence to be effective it requires: inducements that turn emerging terrorists away from their vicious impulses (6).It is possible to deter rogue states and groups since their l eadership is dedicated to staying in power. Group assessment on specific actors has to be carried in order to provide information and analysis to be used in tailoring deterrence on each actor. To deter the enemy must perceive the ally as having the capability and will to carry out the threatened actions (Bunn 5). This is why the US is putting place strategies to strengthen its credibility across the spectrum and a series of deterrence options to act against its adversaries.This statement indeed applies to the modern strategic environment.... Group assessment on specific actors has to be carried in order to provide information and analysis to be used in tailoring deterrence on each actor. To deter the enemy must perceive the ally as having the capability and will to carry out the threatened actions (Bunn 5). This is why the US is putting place strategies to strengthen its credibility across the spectrum and a series of deterrence options to act against its adversaries. Conclusion Looking at the article in this essay it is evident that as much as terrorist group may have beliefs that encourage suicide and martyrdom, it is still possible to investigate and target what such groups value most and tailor make an effective deterrence strategy, just as Bunn put it (1). Therefore we can conclude that deterrence can be used against non-state actors as a military strategy although it faces some limitations. War termination Introduction Davis Hanson exposes the modern wars â€Å"messy, confused, and non-traditional, but from his po int of view, â€Å"victory† is a timeless military reality of making an enemy concede through force and diplomacy to your political objectives.†Ã‚   (National Review Online, 22 September 2010). This statement indeed applies to the modern strategic environment. Why the concept of victory is less relevant in today’s strategic environment The earlier concept of ‘victory’ as historian Davis Hanson put it that â€Å"†¦is a timeless military reality of making enemies concede through force and diplomacy to your political objectives.†Ã‚   (National Review Online, 22 September 2010).  For example ever since World War I, the disintegration of empires has produced over one hundred new states in the international system, and with this has come more turmoil. Additionally, at