08.23: Coral Reefs

Climate News 08.2023 Coral Reefs

This month I’m going to write about one of nature’s greatest wonders; coral reefs. Corals are animals that attach themselves to the ocean floor and through symbiotic relationships grow large, intricate, structures called reefs. 25% of marine life depends on these reefs which make up structures that can be seen from space. Coral reefs can reduce 97% of coastal wave energy during a storm. Coral reefs provide benefits to the tune of 2.7 trillion U.S dollars every year. They also provide jobs for over 1 billion people around the world. But we have already lost HALF of the world’s coral reefs, and if we don’t act now that fraction is just going to get larger.

Coral reefs, like many species, are disappearing quickly, mostly because of human action and climate change. As little as a 2 degree Fahrenheit change in water temperature can cause coral to bleach. Bleaching can also be caused by other factors such as extremely low tides, pollution, or too much sunlight. After the algae-like substance zooxanthellae (pronounced so-UH-zan-thuh-lay) leaves the coral it becomes bleached and then either dies or, with improved conditions, may recover after 9-12 years. Although warming temperatures are an obvious driver in coral bleaching and death, other human caused factors such as oil spills, improperly treated sewage, destructive fishing (using dynamite and cyanide), fertilizer runoff, sedimentation, and mining corals for building and aquariums are all hugely significant. While this is heavy news, it does mean there are more solutions to this massive problem.

Scientists around the world are testing innovative ideas to address the coral die off. Some scientists are breeding coral that are more disease resistant. One rescue effort includes 3d printing coral out of calcium carbonate which can be made very similar to the chemical makeup, texture, and structure of real coral. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) and ESA (European Space Agency) are both collecting data about coral reefs by monitoring them from the sky.

There are many things citizens can do to help save the coral reefs as well. For example, try to choose sustainable seafood and don’t put harmful chemicals into the water. Make sure that any sunscreen you use while in the ocean is safe for marine life and never buy coral that has been harvested from the wild for jewelry or other uses. Be aware of your actions and how they could affect corals and other species. Lastly, try to reduce your carbon footprint because climate change is a significant cause of dying coral reefs.