The World Without Coral

The ocean is a fascinating part of our world home to thousands of different species each with its own structure and function. 

Coral reef

Before I go any further, let's get some things straight. Coral reefs are vast underwater structures made up of the skeletons of colonial marine invertebrates. Not to be mistaken for a plant, coral is actually an animal! It also happens to be a very important factor in our ecosystem. 

Coral reefs purify and clean the water in which they live, protect coastlines from the damaging effects of tropical storms and erosion, and provide a source of nitrogen and other vital elements for marine food chains. Also referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," coral reefs provide habitat and food for a quarter of all marine species. Coral reefs provide nourishment for around half a billion people. Coral reefs feed a variety of fish, which in turn feed people. The fish found on coral reefs are consumed by an estimated 500 million people worldwide. Clearly, they are very important!

What is harming coral reefs?

Coral reef ecosystems are unfortunately in great danger. Some dangers can be natural such as diseases, predators, and storms. Other threats however have been imposed by people. These include pollution, sedimentation, unsustainable fishing practices such as overfishing, and climate change, which is causing the ocean temperature to increase as well as causing ocean acidification. Many of these threats can cause coral bleaching, death, and physical damage to these fragile ecosystems. Corals are able to recover from bleaching events if conditions improve before they die. However, it can take many years for the ecosystems to fully recover. 

During the 2014-2017 coral bleaching event, unusually warm waters affected 70 percent of coral ecosystems worldwide. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, for example, was particularly hit hard with hundreds of miles of coral bleached. 

Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Why should we care?

Without corals, reefs would deteriorate and eventually disappear. If coral reefs disappeared, crucial food, shelter, and hatching grounds for fish and other marine organisms would cease to exist. As a consequence, biodiversity would greatly suffer. Not only would we have a less diverse and less beautiful ocean, but many people would also be faced with an economic disaster since tourism and fisheries directly depend on healthy coral reefs. 

Photo of a fire coral before and after experiencing severe bleaching in the 2016 mass bleaching event

What can you do?

Suppose you are wondering what you can do to help preserve the world's naturally beautiful coral reefs. In that case, you should know that chemicals in sunscreen can cause coral bleaching, harm coral DNA, and cause abnormal growth and deformities. You might be asking, "How does sunscreen cause coral bleaching?" Well, in most cases, zooxanthellae cover corals. These microscopic critters absorb light and convert it into nourishment for the coral through photosynthesis. Corals expel the zooxanthellae when they are stressed, such as by rising water temperatures or pollution from sunscreen chemicals. These small critters are a lifeline for the coral. Without them, corals lose the main food and oxygen source as well as the broad assortment of colors that make coral so appealing. The disease is more susceptible in bleached corals. Their development is impeded, and the resulting damage will negatively affect the aquatic life in that area. While some bleached corals may recover, most will die of starvation. 

There are many different ways you can protect coral reefs. This includes choosing sustainable seafood, picking up trash others have left behind, and volunteering. You can participate in beach or reef cleanups in your area. Using water sparingly is also helpful. The less you consume, the less runoff and wastewater will eventually end up in the ocean. Coral is a gift from nature that shouldn't be removed from the ocean and given as a gift to others. Leave corals on the reef since it takes decades or longer for them to build reef structures. If you're diving, don't touch anything. Coral reefs are still growing and stirred-up sediment can smother corals. In addition, use caution when boating. Anchor in sandy areas away from coral and sea grasses so that the anchor and chain do not drag on nearby corals. Also, check active chemicals in sunscreen and choose sunscreens with chemicals that aren't harmful to marine life. 

What are scientists doing?

Scientists are also experimenting with new approaches to assisting coral reef ecosystems, such as growing coral in a nursery and then transplanting it to damaged areas. As stated before, corals expel the tiny algae that live inside them as sea temperatures rise. This effectively starves the corals by turning them white. In response, researchers have developed a lab-grown strain of microalgae which is more tolerant to heat. When injected back into the coral, the algae can handle warmer water better. The researchers believe their findings may help in the effort to restore coral reefs, which they say are, "suffering mass mortalities from marine heatwaves". The researchers made the coral more tolerant to temperature-induced bleaching by bolstering the heat tolerance of its microalgal symbionts - tiny cells of algae that live inside the coral tissue. 

Image describing what coral bleaching is and how it is caused

The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet. It's hard to imagine, but about 97 percent of the Earth's water can be found in our ocean. Those statistics are overwhelming but also fascinating. For something that takes up that much space on our planet, it must be important. Right? And if it's important, we should want to keep it clean... right? I have always loved the ocean. There's just something about it where I have always felt connected. Being in the water makes me feel calm and at peace.  My dad takes my sister and I snorkeling and its there when we go out and see the coral reefs. It's amazing to see all the other forms of life that exist under the sea. It sparks an interest in me, leaving me with the feeling of wanting to explore more. We never fail to come back less than outstanded by the buety of whats out there under the water. I chose this topic because it was something I already had knowledge on but also wanted to learn more and educate others. I am very passionate about keeping our ocean clean and the first step is bringing awareness to others.