Ten Tips

1. Avoid using sunscreens that can harm coral reefs

Recent scientific research has shown that ingredients in some sunscreens may harm coral reefs. Please avoid using such sunscreens in coral reef areas. Consider using sun protective swimwear and/or sunscreens without the harmful ingredients. More information on what to avoid can be found here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html

Information on scientific studies on this topic can be found here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals-noaa-studies.html

2. Be careful not to touch, break or injure corals

If you go snorkeling or diving do not touch corals. If you do not know how a coral looks like you can search for images online, there are many types: branching, encrusting, massive, foliose, table, pillar corals, among others. There are several photos available here. Some corals can easily be broken if someone holds on to them, or kicks them with their fins, or walk on them (!). Even if they don’t break, they can be injured and that cut can possibly lead to disease infections. So be mindful of where your whole body is in relation to the environment you are swimming in, and how close you are getting to the corals. Make sure you stay a safe distance. If you are scuba diving it is key that you practice your buoyancy skills first before you venture into the reef, so you don’t accidentally damage these fragile beings because of your poor technique. If you are taking photographs: please be extra careful!! It is easy to get distracted by the fish, or whatever you are trying to photograph, and damage the corals around you because of your lack of awareness of your surroundings. Also consider if that close-up picture might end up causing damage to an organism on the reef and decide not to take it if this is the case.

More information on this topic can be found in the following peer-reviewed scientific publication as well as in various references cited in the paper: Roche et al. 2016. Recreational diving impacts on coral reefs and the adoption of environmentally responsible practices within the SCUBA diving industry. Environmental Management 58: 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-016-0696-0

3. Be sure to disinfect your snorkeling or scuba gear if you have visited an area undergoing a major coral disease outbreak

Some coral reef areas are experiencing widespread disease outbreaks. There is a range of possible reasons for that, but it is not always simple to pinpoint a particular cause or causes for these occurrences. Currently, we cannot completely exclude the possibility that divers may be helping to spread pathogens, so it is important to adopt the precautionary principle and disinfect your gear if you have snorkeled or dived in an area undergoing a major coral disease outbreak. For more information on how to do so properly check the following websites: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/protection/preventcoraldisease.html or https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/coral-disease/citizen-participation.html

More information on this topic can be found in the following peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as in various references cited in these papers: Lamb & Willis 2011. Using coral disease prevalence to assess the effects of concentrating tourism activities on offshore reefs in a tropical marine park. Conservation Biology 25 (5): 1044-1052. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01724.x . Dobbelaere et al. 2020. Coupled epidemio-hydrodynamic modeling to understand the spread of a deadly coral disease in Florida. Frontiers in Marine Science 7: 591881. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.591881

4. Boat and domestic sewage and wastewater must be handled properly and not be dumped untreated in the ocean

Decline in water quality is a major issue in coral reef areas. Untreated sewage and wastewater can cause severe disruptions in these ecosystems.

More information on this topic can be found in the following peer-reviewed scientific publication as well as in various references cited in the paper: Wear & Thurber (2015). Sewage pollution: mitigation is key for coral reef stewardship. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1355: 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12785

5. Boats should use permanent moorings or anchor in sandy areas away from reefs

If you are using a boat to go to a coral reef site, it is very important that the boat is either connected to a permanent mooring, or that is anchored in a sandy area away from the reef. Anchoring the boat directly on the reef can cause great damage to corals.

More information on this topic can be found in the following peer-reviewed scientific publication as well as in various references cited in the paper: Flynn & Forrester. 2019. Boat anchoring contributes substantially to coral reef degradation in the British Virgin Islands. PeerJ 7: e7010 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7010

6. Do not litter

Any debris that fall in the water can potentially harm the organisms that live in coral reefs either directly or indirectly. Plastic debris can be eaten by some animals causing injury or death and can also physically damage corals and potentially lead to disease infections.

More information on this topic can be found in the following peer-reviewed scientific publication as well as in various references cited in the paper: Lamb et al. 2018. Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reefs. Science 359: 460-462. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6374/460

7. Do not take souvenirs from the reef with you

Please leave shells, pieces of coral rubble, etc, at the coral reef. Do not take anything with you except for your memories and photographs.

8. Learn more about corals and coral reefs

It is a good idea to learn more about the foundation species, i.e. corals, as well as the entire coral reef ecosystem, so you can better appreciate its complexity, beauty and fragility. A great source of information can be found in this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/supp_corals_roadmap.html

You can also watch my lecture about coral reefs here.

9. Support ecotourism

Support businesses that clearly embrace environmentally friendly practices.

10. Volunteer

Help with ocean clean-ups, coral reef restoration, citizen science projects, removal of invasive species, etc. Do all you can to engage and be part of the solution.

Resource Links

Environmental Protection Agency's "What You Can Do to Help Coral Reefs"

https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/what-you-can-do-help-protect-coral-reefs

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Things You Can Do to Protect Coral Reefs"

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/thingsyoucando.html