Corals are one of the rarest ecosystems on the earth. The coral life cycle takes thousands of years to build attractive coral reefs because we should protect them like our life. We should never forget When the ocean is healthy, our peoples are healthy. World ocean day and Reef awareness day are celebrated on 08 th of June and 01 st of June.
Threats to Coral reef ecosystems
Things to do to Protect Corals
What is a Coral reef?
The coral reefs’ protection is today’s main essential factor. Corals are an underwater living animal group of the ocean and attractive biodiversity ecosystems in the world. This is reacting according to changes in temperature, nutrients, and light, like human beings. Coral belongs to the Anthozoa class. Corals choose different places Some select tropical, warm, and shallow sea,s and some special cold and dark depths in the ocean according to the ecosystem and temperature.
Mainly coral is divided into two types that are “Hard corals” and “Soft corals”. Hard corals consist of a hard, durable exoskeleton that protects their soft, sac-like bodies. This is made by extracting calcium carbonate from seawater. Soft corals shape like sea plants and trees. These corals are bendable and soft that do not have stony skeletons and zooxanthellae. Soft corals use wood and sea stones for their growth and protection.
World coral reefs
Coral reefs founded in entire worldwide oceans, which are distributed from the Aleutian Islands to the Caribbean sea. The world’s biggest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the second-largest coral reef is Belize Barrier Reef in Central America. Other reefs founded in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf.
The World’s ocean view with Google Earth
Importance of Coral
- Corals are an essential thing in our changing climate as natural barriers against storms, erosion events like hurricanes, typhoons, and even tsunamis
- Surviving for ocean animals
- Corals use for manufacturing the world’s best human medicines, including cancer treatment
- Important as human and fish food sources
- Vital impact on world’s fisheries for fish breeding
- Increase tourist attraction with Scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing near the reefs
- Important for the world balancing
Threats to Coral reef ecosystems
Coral’s main survival factors are Sunlight, Clear and clean water, water temperature, and saltwater. Today those are facing an endangered situation because of unethical human activities.
01 Ocean Water pollution/marine pollution
This is the main reason for Coral pollution. For example, Ship transportation, Toxic Chemicals From Industries and agriculture, Sewage, Large Scale Oil Spills, Ocean Mining, plastic, and chemical particles are released into the ocean. Because of these factors impacting the ocean ecosystem cycle as the Effect of Toxic Wastes on Marine Animals, Disruption to the Cycle of Coral Reefs, Depletes Oxygen Content in Water, Failure in the Reproductive System of Sea Animals, and Effect Food Chain and Affects Human Health.
02 Irregular ship transportation and maintaining the system
Ships are the main transporting way in the ocean that transports many things like oils, chemicals, plastics, foods, and so many other things. According to the ship’s unethical behavior, a lot of corals and fish disappear from the Earth. Nowadays, we can hear lots of news about ship fires and oil leaks. Many things happen with human carelessness. In this situation, the ocean sea is mixed with these oils, chemicals, plastics, and so many other things. This directly affects ocean animals and water pollution.
03 Acidification increasing the ocean
Because of fossil fuels burning release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and it is mixed with seawater. According to this, acidification inhibits calcium carbonate production then after the coral’s life cycle breaks down.
04 Increasing temperatures of the world’s oceans
The rising global temperature rapidly increases ocean temperature. Because of this, the coral’s zooxanthellae are gone, then after burning this, the coral bleaches and dies off.
05 Overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices
Humans use easy ways to fulfill their fishing activities. As a result, these corals are destroying them day by day. They use cyanide, explosives, and unethical fishing equipment. Because of overfishing methods and ocean pollution, humans are pushing their destination to dark areas.
06 Natural disasters
Some natural disasters directly harm the coral reefs, such as storms, predators, erosion, hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis.
Things to do to Coral reefs Protection
01 Reduce fossil fuels and Energy Use
Day by day, the ocean temperature increases because of carbon emissions. According to this, Greenhouse gas(Carbon dioxide) is directly affecting our oceans more acidic. As humans, we can change our habits to protect our oceans and our life.
- Use Solar power and Wind power instead of fossil fuels
- Turn off unwanted lights and electric equipment
- Manage daily work using electricity
- Use the Green concept
- Ride a bike or use public transportation instead of your vehicle
- use fuel-efficient vehicles
- When you can use a sweater instead of a thermostat in the winter season.
02 Stablished Stable ship transportation and maintained system
Ships should have proper standards and best practices for their activities. As well as they should have the best backup plan to face if they have any fire, damage, or any other accident. Ocean and ships will be secure with this plan. According to this, we can save a lot of money and our world. Some countries have plans and technology to face any accident.
Today is a world technological era because we have to continue transporting ships to day-to-day business activities. According to this, we should build up technology to save our ocean from threats. We should share it all over the world like one world to protect our ocean and us. Remember one thing When the world is healthy, our peoples are healthy.
03 Reduce the Use of Chemical Fertilizers
04 Respect and support Ocean policies
05 Reduce the Use of Plastic Products
06 Use Reusable solutions for daily using things
07 Recycle Whatever You Can
08 Use Sustainable Seafood
09 Stop Littering the Beach and Start Cleaning Habits
10 Corals are already a gift because don’t give them as a presents
Join Oceana to protect the Ocean
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