Rare, valuable, yet endangered by unnecessary human activity and decisions.
We are all aware that coral reefs are being threatened from our choices and is resulting in coral bleaching. This is concerning because reefs contain incredible biodiversity and provide food and shelter for sea creatures that we then consume. But what if there was substantially more coral reefs undertake in which the majority of the public are not aware of? Could being more knowledgeable about the significance of reefs provide a great deal of the solution for saving them? But then why should we ALL be worried to begin with if just over 40% of society live in the tropics? If you cannot answer these or are just curious for what I have to say, read further :)
Just to start off, when I am asked to do a task, I oftenly do not unless I understand the purpose so when there exists purpose, I do a better job at the work. This can be translated to the challenge of protecting coral reefs. If we are well-educated about why we should care about them, we will be more driven to make changes. This is pretty logical yet it has not been achieved. Let us dive into what coral reefs do for this planet.
Corals are related to jellyfish and sea anemones (flowering plants) and most are colonial (composed of countless tiny animals “polyps”). The Scleractinian “hard corals” secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton and host symbiotic algae in their tissues called zooxanthellae which provides most of their energy but there are also stinging tentacles used to capture food. Scleractinian corals can only survive in tropical sunlit waters like in the Caribbean and Indian Seas, which is shockingly less than 1% of the ocean since they are sensitive to environmental conditions so with global warming, there are warmer water temperatures and other human caused factors like heavy metal pollution which creates havoc for this underwater jungle.
Coral reefs may be the most diverse ecosystem on Earth and are worth around $172 billion for essential services to humans like food each year. Is that not enough reasoning to want to save them?! I guess not? Remarkably, their abilities are boundless. Reefs prevent flooding too. A recent study from UC Santa Cruz found that “Coral reefs prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damage for U.S. property owners”. Losing just 1 meter of reef height would increase flooding zones by 23%, impact 53,800 more people and increase damages by $5.3 billion.
I just recently became conscious about the flooding protection of coral reefs so imagine individuals who have poor internet connection for instance. They are completely unconcerned. It is rather difficult to fix these world issues if the world is not on the same page. Right? Activists like Greta Thunberg have inspired an international movement to fight climate change with millions joining in on the protests by speaking out consistently. She is a leading voice and figurehead. Greta makes people uncomfortable and worried with her straightforward speeches and with noticeably more people with the same goals now, other activists are popping up and the public is demanding governments to not hold misleading negotiations that are not leading to real action. Generation Z (my generation ❤) is the most environmentally-conscious generation and are so skilled in utlizing social media as a platform to create change. This is the group of people that could save planet Earth!!
So as we know, we still have a significant portion of the population uninformed about why coral reefs matter so much. If we ALL valued the FREE flood risk-reduction service of existing ecosystems, that would certainly be one bigfoot step in the right direction. Furthemore, we are in deep danger but we still have a chance to recover. When algae leave coral due to rising temperatures, bleach and death occurs but if algae returns quickly, colonies may return as well. Also, researchers are looking into restoring reefs with more heat tolerant coral. Governments are spending billions upon billions of dollars in flood damage and that entirely avoidable. More aggressive action and education from the top down will achieve a carbon-neutral planet required to protect coral reefs. “This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.” — Barack Obama. Choose more sustainable seafood or adjust to a more plant-based diet, conserve water for less runoff, volunteer for clean-ups, check sunscreen ingredients, and EDUCATE OTHERS!
Bye for now :)
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210415114205.htm
https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/saltwater-science/why_are_coral_reefs_important/
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