This Wednesday: Coral Relief
Problem:
One of the places that I desperately want to visit before I “become one with nature– is the Great Barrier Reef. A series of over 3,400 individual reefs and 900 islands along the east coast of Australia, it covers a distance longer than the west coast of the United States. That's over 2,000 kilometers for those of you keeping score at home. It's the world’s largest coral reef system. You can see it from space. Even “outer space.– It's big, and beautiful. It's one of the seven natural wonders of the world. And it's dying.
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Make Progress:
Coral reefs all over the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. Over a quarter of the worlds reef systems have died or been severely damaged, and many scientists say that the remaining 75% will be gone in the next 30-50 years. Most of this destruction is human-related. That's the bad news. The good news is that we can do something about it.
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A bit of “founding fatherly– wisdom from James Madison:
Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.
In that spirit we've compiled a list of facts (the cold, hard kind) about what corals are and how they are beneficial. So arm yourselves with this good knowledge:
- Contrary to popular belief, corals are actually animals. They are made up of tiny polyps that live symbiotically with zooxanthellae algae that grow within the coral's own tissue. This algae provides the coral with food and is what gives it color. These individual corals reproduce both sexually and asexually to form reefs.
- Reefs are home to 25 percent of all marine life equaling over two million different species.
- Ten percent of the world's diet comes from reef fish and many poor and developing countries rely on local reefs for more than a quarter of their protein.
- Coral reefs are an enormous part of local and global economies. In the state of Florida alone coral-related tourism generated $4.4 billion, while creating over 70,000 jobs in a single year.
- Coral reef species are being used to create new antibiotics and antiviral medicines, as well as bone grafts. They also show promise for treating leukemia, skin, and other kinds of cancer.
- Large reefs protect shorelines from excessive wave action, violent storms and floods, helping to prevent death, erosion, and property loss.
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And here are some of the not-so-smiley causes of destruction:
- Dynamite and cyanide fishing: Yes, people use these two things to catch fish on the reefs. Their destructive impact should be obvious.
- Overfishing: The loss of a particular type of fish to the seafood trade can harm the ecological balance and be devastating to a coral reef.
- Runoff: Sediment from nearby development can get into the water and quickly destroy entire reef systems.
- Collection: Fish are caught and corals are harvested for the aquarium trade, calcium supplements, mortar and souvenirs.
- Global warming: A biggie. While many coral species are physically very hardy, a rise in ocean temperatures of only one or two degrees can cause massive coral bleaching, a condition where the algae dies off and the corals turn white and often die. In addition, warmer waters mean bigger hurricanes, which can pound coastal regions and do enormous damage to reefs.
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So now you know a little about these underwater paradises and their frailty, but to quote Goethe: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply!”
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If you can tear yourself away from Wife Swap or the 43rd season of Survivor (maybe it only seems like that many) try turning the channel to PBS or The Discovery Channel. They quite frequently have documentaries about our underwater world and coral reefs in particular. For those able to get them in high definition, you'll get a more realistic idea of how beautiful and unusual these animals are. But for those still using “rabbit ears– we'll help you out.
If you want a “soft-polyp quicky,– the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation has put together this seven minute video that touches on the importance of coral reefs as well as dangers to reef systems and what is being done to prevent their destruction. Give it a look.
Coral Reef Adventure is an IMAX film that follows a husband and wife duo for ten months traveling from the Great Barrier Reef to the islands of Fiji and many other reefs. They concentrate on currently endangered reefs and the actions taken by ordinary people to save them. Narrated by Liam Neeson, this film has won much acclaim for its breathtaking cinematography and powerful message. You can rent it online or buy it here.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, has created a series with our friends at PBS called Ocean Adventures. One of these grabbed our attention (and someone else's too), and we recommend it highly. Voyage to Kure takes Cousteau and his team to the Northwestern Hawaiian Island archipelago where they take a look at all of the marine life and the decline of many species and inspires the viewer to take action. How inspiring is it you ask? We'll tell you in the next section. But first, buy it here from PBS or rent it online. It's worth a look.
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Last year Jean-Michel Cousteau was invited to the White House for a private screening of the aforementioned Ocean Adventures: Voyage to Kure with the President and First Lady. They were so moved by the urgency of the crisis in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that President Bush immediately upgraded the 140,000 square miles of ocean landscape that contains 70% of the United States' coral reefs from a reserve to a National Monument. National Monuments are not subject to approval by congress and therefore, the protections implied took effect immediately.
This was a huge step, which the President should be applauded for taking. But what about the other 30% of the coral reefs in the country, mainly located in the Florida Keys? We would like you to write a letter to the President showing your support for his action in Hawaii and asking him to take it a step further.
Below you’ll find an example. Feel free to edit it in any way before you sign and mail it. Or, since you are using one of those new-fangled computers, you could just copy, paste, and email it here with your name attached.
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Subject: Praise for action in Hawaii and calling for more.
Dear Mr. President,
I would like to take a moment to thank you for your quick and decisive action in declaring the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding marine environment a National Monument. This was a huge step in preserving the beauty and magnificence of this vital region and animals that live there.
I am writing, however, to ask you to take similar action with the rest of our nation's endangered coral reefs, which are located in the Florida Keys. The reefs surrounding the Keys are home to more than 100 species of corals and more than 400 species of fish. Both are a vital part of Florida's economy as well, attracting over 4 million tourists annually. But they are threatened by pollution, overuse, and overfishing. They need more protection.
Please declare the Florida Keys' coral reefs a National Monument so they will be there for our children and our grandchildren to enjoy and profit from in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Your Name
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In doing research for this Wednesday's topic I came across the websites of about 17 million organizations dedicated to this issue. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but there are a lot. And that's great news. But for those who want to get involved, how do they know which would be the most effective organization to donate their time, effort and money to? Well, I’ve visited all 17 million and here are the three that I most recommend along with their mission statements and links for you to lend a helping fin.
Reef Relief is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserve and Protect Living Coral Reef Ecosystems through local, regional and global efforts.
The Reef Check Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs.
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is a member-supported, non-profit organization, dedicated to protecting the health of coral reefs by integrating ecosystem management, sustainable tourism, and community partnerships.
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It's the little things we do, the small actions we take as citizens, consumers, and stewards of our great green and blue orb that make the biggest differences, the most progress. It's what the Progressive Wednesday community is all about, the little things that each of us can do. It might be hard to imagine, but there are everyday things that even the most landlocked Nebraskans can do to help solve this crisis. So here's a list-behind-the-list of the everyday variety:
- For you reef-keepers like me out there, buy aquacultured animals. The Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation (GARF), located in Idaho, is a non-profit committed to coral propagation. They sell their corals online at very reasonable prices. Make sure your next “Nemo– and corals are “aquacultured– and lessen the burden on our natural reefs to supply our own indulgences.
- When you buy cement, brick or concrete, make sure it is not made from crushed coral.
- Do not buy bleached coral skeletons. Ever.
- Take care when diving. If you are one of the millions of divers that visit coral reefs each year, be sure to follow the rules and respect the reef. And don't take anything!
- Eat fish that are in abundance. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program provides information on which fish are good to eat, what to avoid and good alternatives. They even break it down by region.
- Last but certainly not least, do your part to help fight global warming. You knew before how it affects you, now you know how it affects those below sea level. Renewable home energy, efficient driving, carpool– ¦ you know the drill, but it can't be said enough.
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