What Can You, The Residents of Key Biscayne, Do To Help Learn, Spread and Educate Others about Coral Reef Awareness?
What are Coral Reefs? What benefits do they provide for our oceans and our communities?
Cruising over the surface of the ocean, have you ever spotted large colorful colonies, reflecting beautiful colors varying from a bright orange to a dark majestic purple. These beautiful colonies below the surface of the ocean, otherwise referred to as coral reefs, can be found in every ocean all over the world. As most people know, coral reefs aren’t only a source of beauty to the ocean, but they also serve as a home to thousands of different species from small crustaceans to mid-sized fishes providing shelter and food for many organisms. Other than providing a home to many organisms, coral reefs are also known as the rainforests of the sea because they provide protection and sustenance to many organisms, according to NOAA Coral Reef Conservation program (NOAACRCP) they also Provide billions of dollars in food, jobs, recreational opportunities, and other important goods and services to people around the world.
Some ways that a community benefits from Coral Reefs are in the economy. Considering Florida is highly populated with Coral reefs, and people from other states have never had a chance to witness their beauty, Florida benefits economically through tourism. Other ways we benefit economically is by sport fishing and providing employment to locals.This allows us the opportunity to share the care for these preciously rare corals, which combined with tourism, benefit Florida annually up to a ‘value of $8.5billion’, according to the NOAACRCP. Furthermore, Other benefits that are very impactful to the community, include the protection of our coastlines from powerful hurricanes and storms. Coral reefs slow down the energy of waves coming onto the shorelines minimizing the impact of erosion, protecting our communities property and individuals who live within it. NOAACRCP also states that one study estimates that reefs protect over $560 million worth of building infrastructure and $320 million worth of economic activity in Florida . Lastly, the very obvious benefit Coral brings, is the knowledge of not only a rich nutrient filled habitat but being informed of various new organisms that call it a home and the diversity it brings.
What Is Happening to Coral Reefs?
When thinking about coral reefs you imagine them as underwater marvels with lots of fluorescent colors, and beautiful shapes and creatures. You think of sea fans, sponges, brain coral and of course you couldn’t forget about the fish: pufferfish, giant clams, eels, manta rays and sea turtles. These are just a few of the spectacular sights that can be seen in healthy coral reefs. Sadly the majority of Earth’s coral reefs don’t look like this anymore. Over the years, more than 50% of the world’s Coral Reefs have been harmed or destroyed. The many reasons that coral reef ecosystems have been decreasing include silt runoff from deforested land, pollution from overcrowded coastlines, global warming, coastal development, overfishing/coral poaching, disease and even coral miners. At the current rate of destruction, the majority of Earth’s coral reefs would be destroyed within the next 50 years if people like you don’t step in to help.
A University of Miami law School article on Preserving Reef building Coral discusses a major reason that led to the destruction of these remarkable reefs. Climate change, also known as the effect of global warming, and the rise of the oceans Ph levels (acidification) due to the rising temperatures, which can destroy the zooxanthellae that provide food for the reefs, dissolving the coral polyps. University of Miami states “nonetheless, the onslaught of rapid climate change will subject one third of coral species to an elevated extinction risk and is predicted to cause annual severe bleaching in 90% of worldwide reef systems by 2055”. Now that we discuss the topic of extinction, another one of the major effects that is destroying the growth of these reefs are due to overfishing, coral poaching, and coral mining. In relation to overfishing and coral poaching, these activities include the illegal taking of Corals to see on private or black markets, mostly for either food consumption or medicinal needs. As for Coral Mining, FIU professor Peter K Weber, states that “because of the excessive use of coral (limestone) for producing building material in Sri Lanka and India, Sri Lanka banned coral mining in early 1992”. Furthermore, Peter Weber states that two important areas in need of political intervention are “the management and protection of reefs themselves, and the other is pollution prevention…Stopping coastal water pollution is thus a vital piece of the policy puzzle.” Pollution is another one of the major threats to reefs because it can block the polyps, bring disease to organisms who live in them, and choke them. This does not allow zooxanthellae to perform photosynthesis and provide oxygen for the several other organisms that benefit from it, including humans. These are only some of the many harmful threat’s coral reefs face on a daily basis.
As a Resident What Can You Do?
Being residents of Key Biscayne, you know the ocean is basically your second home, living only blocks away your impact on it can be bigger than you think. When it comes to coral reefs, which are basically your backyard, you the residents have the power and ability to spread awareness and educate others, like tourists, about them. As coral reefs are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth your impact can make all the difference in stopping their extinction. Being residents you not only have the power and capability to spread awareness, but you can also help by getting involved in citizen science projects, educating the younger generations of this critical concern, and also highlight the importance of preserving coral reefs. There are many distinct ways in becoming citizens that help grow the coral reef population.
One of the most common ways is if you are a certified diver. Every citizen has the power to participate in planting baby coral in protected nurseries in restoration efforts. According to Science Direct’s article on citizen science restoration activities, the RAF (Rescue a reef) program encourages citizens to participate in these restorations. According to the article this project “trains participants in reef restoration and provides unique, experiential learning opportunities to recover degraded coral reefs by propagating and transplanting threatened coral species”. Being a resident of Key Biscayne gives you an upper hand opportunity to not only participate in restoring Coral reefs, but also building projects or charities that call attention to government officials in an attempt to create larger protected areas where coral reefs face no possible threat from human activity. Protecting and restoring this species is important to our oceans because they provide for us much more than we think they do, and it would be horrible for future generations to not have the opportunity to witness their beauty. Therefore, you the Key Biscayne resident has all the power and ability to promote or participate in the restoration and protection of coral reefs. Whether it’s by participating in coral rehabilitation nurseries, becoming a RAF citizen, bringing awareness to people of all ages, or participating in community projects to bring this critical environmental conflict to light.