Coral reefs are unique, biologically rich and complex ecosystems that are sometimes referred to as "the rainforests of the ocean". Pollution, disease, invasive species and inattentive tourists are all elements that can harm them. The decline of coral reefs destabilizes the world's ecology and can have a negative economic impact. Coral reefs control the concentration of carbon dioxide in the ocean and are therefore essential for the balance of the food chain. You can protect them in various ways.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Being a Responsible Tourist
Step 1. Avoid hitting or touching the reef
Touching the reef with the keel of a boat can cause serious damage. Coral reef protection depends on what experts call proper "vessel management".
- Understand where coral reefs are so you don't hit them with the boat, even unintentionally. Coral reefs can also be damaged by simply touching them.
- In reality, the corals that form the reefs are small animals, so this living ecosystem is extremely fragile and vulnerable. Corals are animals that do not move, live in colonies and possess hard calcium carbonate skeletons which give coral reefs their typical structure.
- Remember your feet. Check your fins when diving or snorkeling so you don't accidentally touch a coral reef.
Step 2. Do not fish or boating near a coral reef
Contact with objects such as anchors or fishing nets is one of the main ways coral reefs get damaged or die.
- Do not drop anchor on a coral reef. Instead, throw it in an area with a sandy bottom or use a mooring. You can also use a mooring buoy instead of the anchor.
- Both lines and fishing nets and hooks cause damage to coral reefs. This is another of the many reasons why you would be better off fishing elsewhere. Find out where the coral reefs are before venturing out to the ocean.
- Do not throw boat wastewater into the ocean. Instead, find a local facility where you can safely unload them.
Step 3. Do not litter on the beach or in the ocean
Leaving items like fishing nets or general litter on the beach can damage coral reefs. If you throw your litter into the ocean, it can eventually come into contact with the reef.
- When litter settles on a coral reef it can suffocate the corals. Always remember that they are living organisms. Corals are sometimes considered to be like shells but are actually alive and therefore extremely vulnerable.
- Litter can also damage or even kill the fish that populate coral reefs. The technical term for this type of litter is "marine debris". Marine debris also damages other organisms found on coral reefs and is necessary for their survival.
- Some organizations promote beach cleaning. If you help collect other people's litter on the beaches, as well as not throw it yourself, you will help coral reefs.
Step 4. Snorkel and scuba dive carefully
Many people love to dive close to coral reefs due to their unique beauty. However, scuba divers and divers can cause serious damage to coral reefs, particularly in areas that are heavily frequented by tourists.
- Never tear off a piece of coral reef to take it with you. It is said that when you are in the ocean you should leave only bubbles and take only photographs. Remember that if you take a piece of the barrier you are destroying a living organism.
- Practice snorkeling before approaching a coral reef so you don't risk accidentally touching it.
- In the water, keep a horizontal position and avoid kicking the sand or shaking your fins too much. Don't swim too fast or use your arms to swim.
- If you touch a coral reef you can also get injured. Some people have experienced cuts and stings.
- Don't get too close to the reef if you've applied a lot of sunscreen. The oils contained in the lotion are harmful to the barrier.
Step 5. Don't buy coral souvenirs
You shouldn't take anything live from the ocean, nor should you buy it from the store. In some countries you can find coral jewelry and other souvenirs - don't buy them.
- In some countries it is illegal to sell coral. Coral can take a very long time to grow, so getting it into your aquarium or jewelry box can have a lasting effect that could take years to repair.
- Pink and red coral are particularly popular in jewelry for their coloring. They come from the deepest waters.
- Don't even buy fish from coral reefs. Learn about the marine fish you buy at pet stores and choose those born in captivity.
Step 6. Choose a hotel that embraces the environmental cause
Hotels can have a big effect on the environment. They are often located near the coast and are a passage point for many people. Support hotels that have policies to reduce pollution.
- Hotels that have sewage treatment programs and offer recycling and other sustainability measures can help protect coral reefs by improving the state of the environment around them.
- Coral reef tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the industry, so consumers can make a big difference by putting more pressure on more hotels to adopt sustainability practices.
Part 2 of 3: Reduce Environmental Damage
Step 1. Protect the environment
Coral reefs are damaged when the overall quality of the environment around them declines, so you can help protect them simply by practicing a more sustainable lifestyle.
- Plant trees. Trees reduce runoff into the ocean, which damages coral reefs.
- Reducing your carbon footprint is really important: rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the air can lead to global warming, which in turn can damage coral reefs. Everything is connected. To reduce your carbon footprint, for example, you could cycle to work and hang out the laundry instead of using the dryer.
- Use less water. Doing so will help decrease runoff, which is one of the main ways coral reefs are damaged.
- Use organic fertilizers to prevent chemicals from escaping into the ecosystem. Don't assume that the chemicals you use in your garden can't reach the ocean just because you don't live on the coast.
Step 2. Avoid land development and construction near the coast
Some coral reefs are located near the coast and can be damaged by various aspects of land development and construction such as building docks, piers and plowing fields.
- When sediments and silt are disrupted due to land development and construction and end up in the ocean they can cause coral death by obscuring the sunlight that is necessary for their growth.
- Metals, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals associated with mining and reflux from landfills, agriculture, and urban development projects can harm both corals and the fish that live around them.
Step 3. Oppose global warming
One way people damage coral reefs indirectly is by general deterioration of the environment. Barriers are extremely sensitive to rising water temperatures, which damage them. Reducing your carbon footprint also helps stop global warming.
- Raising the water temperature by just 1 degree damages the coral reef. Coral bleaching is a key indicator of poor reef health, and has been on the rise since the 1980s. The algae within the reef determine its color, and bleaching occurs when the alga is absent or dies.
- Higher ocean temperatures can also stimulate algae growth, which damages coral reefs by blocking the sunlight they need to grow.
- When the ocean warms it has a higher concentration of carbon dioxide. This slows down the growth of coral reefs making it more difficult for corals to create calcium carbonate skeletons.
Part 3 of 3: Helping Educate People About Coral Reefs
Step 1. Boycott harmful fishing methods
If you consume fish caught in a way that damages coral reefs, you become part of the problem. Not using products made by harming the environment is one way to help protect barriers. Understand which fish are caught in a method that damages reefs and spread the word.
- In some countries, incredibly, fishermen blow up the reef with explosive material to be able to catch fish that gather around them more easily and then sell it to restaurants and shops.
- Another devastating fishing method involves using cyanide which is released into the water to stun the fish. This method kills the coral reefs around it.
- Overfishing is another way that reefs are damaged. In some countries this type of fishing is determined by economic conditions; coral reefs, in fact, can supply up to a quarter of the fish consumed in developing countries.
- Do not eat trawl fish. Trawling is so harmful that it can destroy reefs that could have lived for thousands of years and are found deep in the ocean. An example of fish that is sometimes caught by trawl is orange roughy.
Step 2. Volunteer to support scientific research on barriers
For decades, many governments have been mapping coral reefs in detail to monitor their decline. Such efforts often combine with those of private groups accepting donations and volunteers and those of local governments to protect barriers.
- In Australia, for example, the government has created a system to involve people in protecting the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government has created a monitoring program that allows ordinary people to contribute to the protection of the reef by reporting their observations and data readings.
- Scientists are studying detailed maps showing coral reef bleaching, which can be caused by rising sea temperatures and algae blooms.
- The data is so sophisticated that scientists receive hourly updates especially from coral reefs in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The data monitored are barometric pressure, tide level, air and water temperature, and other important factors for coral reefs.
- Scientists are crossing coral reefs and experimenting with different varieties in environments with higher acidity and other special conditions. They also managed to find ways to anchor corals to the ocean floor and stimulate their growth through the use of electric current.
Step 3. Help associations dedicated to the protection of coral reefs
There are many organizations working hard to stop the destruction of coral reefs. Some even go so far as to build artificial barriers to replace those that have been destroyed or damaged.
- The Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Relief and Planetary Coral Reef Foundation are some examples of private organizations that are attempting to save coral reefs. These organizations (and others like them) allow people to get involved in different ways.
- You can register as a volunteer for a coral reef protection association and participate in training events and initiatives. Join the cleaning of a reef.
- Many of these organizations are funded through donations.
- Some coral reef protection organizations have educational programs for children to explain the importance of coral reefs to younger children.
Step 4. Talk about coral reefs
Many people touch or otherwise damage coral reefs without wanting to. They may simply not know that the wards are full of fragile living creatures or understand that even the slightest touch can harm them. Helping to educate as many people as possible about coral reefs can make a difference.
- Many non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting barriers offer detailed information on the subject on their websites.
- You can sign a pledge not to use coral jewelry.
- Many government sites offer detailed information on coral reefs, their importance and protection. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, created by the United States Congress, for example, devotes a great deal of space to the topic.
- The Coral Reef Alliance invites everyone to educate others about the importance of reefs and offers free badges for social networks that can be used to signal their support for coral protection. They also provide e-cards.
Step 5. Put pressure on politicians to protect barriers
Legal mechanisms for coral reef protection can be critical. Let your representatives know that you want them to support measures that ensure the limitation of damage to coral reefs.
- The creation of marine protected areas is a measure that can make a difference.
- Learn about local action strategies so you understand what is happening in your area and elsewhere.
- Greenpeace is always very active in the protection of coral reefs: visit the website of this important organization if you wish to receive some more news.
