Almost A Graveyard..

Coral Reefs

The Great Barrier Reef

Sources

http://www.solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm

http://marinebio.org/Oceans/coral-reefs.asp

http://www.globalissues.org/article/173/coral-reefs

http://www.wcl.american.edu/environment/iel/sup3.cfm

CHANGE

I want to see the protection, restoration, and safe management of the coral reefs. They are a beautiful part of our world, so why are we so carelessly destroying them? 

What can I do to help the coral reefs?  

 

I can get the message out there, since many people are unaware of the consequences of the destruction of corals. 

Status Quo

To protect coral reefs, there is a International Environmental Law. 

It requires the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of the corals and associated environments. 

But enforcement actions against parties damaging corals are rare. 

The US has even allowed a world trade system to import corals. 

What does it say about us as a species, if we continue the destructive trade of one of our world's richest and sensitive ecosystems?

What Are Coral Reefs?

Definition of coral reef: an ocean reef composed of the skeletons of living coral, together with minerals and organic matter.

Coral reefs are known as the rain forest of the ocean because they are one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, rivaled only by tropical rain forests. They cover less than 0.2% of the ocean but are home to 25% of the world’s marine life! That includes soft and hard coral, mollusks, fish, sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, sponges, and much more. 500 million people rely on coral reefs for food and to make a living. Coral reefs have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases, and ulcers. Coral’s are found in about 100 countries, and reefs off of 93 countries have been damaged.

Every part of a coral reef is dependent upon countless other things, which means fluctuations in one species can drastically alter others. Over time, coral reefs naturally balance predator and prey and organisms in competition, but with human interference they may never be balanced.

Coral’s can live up to a thousand years, but they are dying off at an extremely alarming rate worldwide.  

Why are coral reefs important?

Coral reefs are a precious resource in the ocean. They provide shelter for marine life, recreation for humans, create sands for beaches, and serve as buffers for shorelines.

Corals are also classified as animals and are relatives of jellyfish and anemones.

The Threats:

All around the world, coral reefs are being threatened by coastal development, overfishing, inland pollution, global climate change, and ocean acidification.

Corals are extremely sensitive to light and temperature change. When their environment changes, they lose their symbiotic cells and causes a gradual loss of colour, leaving them bleached. The corals may recover or die. There are cases of mass bleaching events, such as on the Great Barrier Reef during the summers of 1998 and 2002.

Human activity is one of the greatest threats to coral reefs.

If present rate of destruction keeps up, 70% of the world’s coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050.