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Tiew Yong Xian
5/12/1995
~~MBS~~/MSHS
MITs member.
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‚ô° Wednesday, February 11, 2009 ‚ô°

CORAL REEF DESTRUCTION and CONSERVATION

Ten percent of the world's reefs have been completely destroyed. In the Philippines, where coral reef destruction is the worst, over 70% have been destroyed and only 5% can be said to be in good condition. What has happened to destroy all of the reefs? Humans have happened.

There are two different ways in which humans have contributed to the degradation of the Earth's coral reefs, indirectly and directly. Indirectly, we have destroyed their environment. Coral reefs can live only within a certain temperature and salinity range. Global warming caused by the greenhouse effect has raised the temperature of the oceans so high that the coral get sick and die. Even a rise of one degree in the average water temperature can hurt the coral. Due to global warming, 1998 was the hottest year in the last six centuries and 1998 was the worst year for the corals.

The most obvious sign that corals are sick is coral bleaching. That is when either the algae inside die, or the algae leave the coral. The algae are what give coral its color, so without the algae the coral has no color and the white of the limestone shell shines through the transparent coral bodies. People have been noticing coral bleaching since the turn of the century, but only since the 1980s has it gotten really bad.

The warmer water also encourages the growth of harmful algae on top of the coral, which kills it, because it blocks out the sun. Without the sun, the zooxanthellae cannot perform photosynthesis and so they die. Without the zooxanthellae, the coral polyps die too. This algae is usually eaten by fish, but because of over fishing, there aren't enough fish left to eat all the algae. And the pollution we dump in the ocean is just what the algae needs to grow and be healthy, which means covering and eventually killing the coral reefs.

The direct way in which humans destroy coral reefs is by physically killing them. All over the world, but especially in the Philippines, divers catch the fish that live in and around coral reefs. They sell these fish to fancy restaurants in Asia and to fancy pet stores in the United States. This would be OK if the divers caught the fish carefully with nets and didn't hurt the reefs or take too many fish. But the divers want lots of fish and most of them are not very well trained at fish catching. Often they blow up a coral reef with explosives and then catch all the stunned fish swimming around. This completely destroys the reefs, killing the coral polyps that make it as well as many of the plants and animals that call it home. And the creatures that do survive are left homeless.

Another way that divers catch coral reef fish is with cyanide. Cyanide is a poison. The divers pour this poison on the reef, which stuns the fish and kills the coral. Then they rip open the reef with crowbars and catch the fish while they are too sick from the poison to swim away. This poison kills 90% of the fish that live in the reef and the reef is completely destroyed both by the poison and then by being ripped apart.

All this may seem a bit depressing, but there are many groups in the world dedicated to saving the coral reefs. These groups work to educate people about the destruction of coral reefs. They lobby the United States Congress as well as the governments of other nations, trying to convince them not to buy fish that have been caught by destroying coral reefs. They encourage governments to crack down on pollution, both into the ocean and into the air, which causes global warming. They encourage visitors to coral reefs to be careful not to harm them. They even build artificial reefs to replace the reefs that have been destroyed. If you want to learn more about these groups, visit some of their websites, like the Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Relief, and the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation.

Some people help coral reefs by convincing governments to treat them with care. Other people help coral reefs by studying them. One way that people learn more about coral reefs is by slicing open dead ones and looking inside. The inside of a coral reef looks a lot like the inside of a tree (picture below) and the lines mean the same thing. A person who studies tree rings is called a dendrochronologist. " Dendro " means tree, " chron " means time and " ologist " means person who studies, so dendrochronologist means person who studies trees through time. Dendrochronologists count the number of rings in a slice of a tree to see how old the tree was when it died. There is one ring for each year the tree lived. The dendrochronologist also looks at the size of the rings. A thick ring means that that year there was lots of food and it was a good year for the tree. A thin ring can mean that there was a drought that year or maybe the tree was sick. In the same way, oceanographers can look at the rings in a slice of coral and see how old the coral is and which years were good years and which were not. The more we know about coral the better we will be able to protect them for years to come.

Source: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htm

‚ô° Tuesday, February 3, 2009 ‚ô°

Coral reefs and how you can help.

Since my fellow groupmates were doing things that I wanted to do, I decided to research on how you can help protect coral reefs.

Things You Can Do to Protect Coral Reefs
Even if you don't live near a reef, you can help protect coral reefs in the U.S.A. and around the world.

Educate yourself about coral reefs and the creatures they support. How many different species live in reefs? What new medicines have been developed from reef organisms? Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reef ecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world’s coral reefs.

Be a wastewater crusader! Make sure that sewage from your boat and home is correctly treated. Excess nutrients in wastewater can negatively impact coral reef ecosystems.

Support organizations that protect coral reefs. Many groups have coral reef programs, and your support will make a big difference.

Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed -- the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, and ultimately, the ocean.

Volunteer for a reef cleanup. You don’t live near a coral reef? Then consider visiting a coral reef on your next vacation. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the world’s treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.

Be an informed consumer. Only buy marine fish and other reef organisms when you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner. Ask store managers where the organisms come from and how they were collected. Does the country have a management plan to insure the harvest was legal and sustainable over time? For more information on how to find sustainably harvested reef fish, go to www.aquariumcouncil.org.

Visit your local aquarium or zoo. Ask what they are doing and how you can help conserve our coral reefs. The answer may pleasantly surprise you. Visit the American Zoo and Aquarium Association to find a zoo or aquarium near you.

If you dive, don’t touch! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles. Keep your fins, gear, and hands away from the reef, as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because disturbed sediments can smother the corals.

Support reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operator, hotel and other coastal businesses are doing to save coral reefs. This is especially important in coastal areas with reefs. Let them know you are an informed consumer and care about reefs.

Recycle. This helps keep trash out of the oceans and also out of landfills where it can have an adverse impact on the water quality of our rivers and oceans.

Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater eventually find their ways back into the oceans.

Become a volunteer monitor! Participate in community coral reef monitoring programs. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in protecting your watershed.

Report dumping or other illegal activities. Help be the eyes and ears of the reef! Your involvement can make a big difference.

Be a marine debris crusader! In addition to picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind. More than just an unsightly nuisance, beach litter poses a significant threat to the health and survival of marine organisms, which can swallow or get tangled in beverage containers, plastic bags, six-pack rings, and other debris.

Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems. This will help you learn about local resources, and protect the future of the reef by supporting the local economy.

Don’t anchor on the reef. If you are boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when they are available.

Participate in the Great Annual Fish Count. What better way to enjoy your vacation than snorkeling or diving in America’s coral reefs? The Fish Count helps scientists better understand coral reef fish populations.

Respect local guidelines when you visit a reef. Help keep coral reefs healthy by respecting local customs, recommendations, and regulations. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to be a reef-friendly tourist.

Stay informed. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect the world’s coral reefs. Many Web sites provide information about coral reefs and what you can do to become involved.

Spread the word. Remember your own excitement at learning the value and importance of coral reef ecosystems. Sharing this excitement gets everyone involved.

Source: http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/outreach/thingsyoucando.html

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