By Junior Kat Totten

Marine life has always been a vital aspect to ecosystems in order to maintain and help the biology around it thrive. Coral reefs serve as a natural protection for the wildlife that reside in them, and provide vital habitats to thousands of different marine animals.

 Coral reefs are a vital aspect of biodiversity, as they protect coastlines and preserve communities of wildlife.

According to Dr. Kumar Adhikary, a marine biologist “coral reefs only occupy 0.1% of the area of the ocean but they support 25% of all marine species on the planet. Because they are so diverse, coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the oceans”.

Coral reefs are the largest structures on earth that stem from biological origin. Small marine animals called coral polyps are responsible for forming such structures. 

These coral polyps secrete calcium carbonate which hardens into a hard rocky-like texture that is known as coral. 

After a Coral Polyp dies, its external skeleton is left in its place which is what leads to the intricate formations of the reefs. In order for a coral reef to form, the conditions must also be adequate. 

For example, coral thrives in water that is above 64 degrees fahrenheit, and generally needs lots of sunlight. According to a study done by the AXA Ocean Education group, “The most common way for a coral reef to grow is when a new tropical volcanic island is produced at a hot spot on the oceanic plate or at the plate boundary”. 

When corals are growing, it is important that they have a flat surface to build on, so considering the fact that they also thrive in warm environments, it makes sense that they gravitate towards these oceanic hotspots.

Coral reefs thrive on sunlight and shallow waters, so the rise in sea level has affected them significantly.

There are three main types of Coral Reef, Fringe, Atoll, and Barrier. 

Fringe reefs are the most common type of reef that forms along the coastline, and often surrounds small islands or continents.

These reefs consist of two parts, the reef flat, which is closest to the shore, and the reef slope, which faces the open ocean. Generally marine life resides around the reef slope in fringe reefs. 

According to the national marine sanctuary foundation “The largest fringing reef in the world is the Ningaloo Reef along the western coast of Australia. Spanning more than 160 miles”. 

The second type of reef is Atoll. Unlike Fringe reefs, Atoll reefs reside in the open ocean, often forming in ring formations surrounding a lagoon. These reefs are formed by the sinking of a volcanic island, where former fringe reefs will begin to grow upwards. 

The final type of Reef is the Barrier. Barrier reefs are similar to fringe reefs in that they form near the shore, however they have a deep lagoon that forms between the reef and shore. 

Coral reefs are not only a fascinating part of the ecosystem, but rather a natural spectacle that serves as protection for not only the wildlife that reside within them, but for humans as well.

                   By Junior Kat Totten

In 2023, one of our fellow firebirds, Natasha Rivera, underwent a life saving operation that would forever change the way her heart functions. 

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect, meaning it was present at birth. This condition consists of four heart abnormalities that work together to affect how blood flows through the heart.

The first heart defect out of these four is known as ‘ventricular septal defect’. This is a hole that forms between the lower chambers of the heart. This allows low-oxygen and high-oxygen blood to mix, which reduces the efficiency of oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues.

The second heart defect is known as pulmonary stenosis. This is a term that refers to an obstruction from the heart to the lungs, meaning that the body does not receive enough oxygen needed to function normally. This can lead to breathing problems in people with TOF.

The third heart defect is an overriding Aorta. The Aorta is the primary artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. In this case, the aorta lies over the hole that is present in the lower chambers. This, in turn, directs oxygen-poor blood into the body which can cause symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, and organ failure,

Finally, the muscle surrounding the lower right chamber becomes overly thickened. Because of this inflammation, the inside of the left ventricle becomes smaller, causing it to hold less blood than a normal heart would.

When asked about her experience dealing with Tetralogy of Fallot at such an early age, Rivera stated, “I had trouble adjusting after the surgery… It took me about three months to fully recover. I had to relearn how to walk, and I couldn’t even pick up my backpack for school”.

Rivera’s case was unique because she was somewhat of a test subject for a new approach to this surgery. 

Generally this surgery is done by replacing certain blood vessels flowing to the heart with pig arteries or other human arteries in order to improve the flow of oxygen throughout the body. However, in Rivera’s case, a new innovative approach was taken towards the surgery : 3D-printed arteries.

These artificial arteries are a relatively new technique in the medical world that have shown better overall results in patients who receive this surgery, lasting for up to 15 years, opposed to the 5-6 years that real transported arteries last.

Modern technology has advanced more than ever in the past 20 years, and Rivera’s case is a direct result of this implementation. Although she will need to undergo another surgery in the future, currently she is thriving and her heart has never been better.

By Junior Kat Totten

          Photo by Junior Mackenzie Covey

It is no surprise that climate change has been a pressing issue for decades. Whether it be from fossil fuel emissions, mass deforestation, or the rapidly growing population, climate change is a huge problem right now within our society, and we are starting to see the effects of that.

Currently, there are raging wildfires in California. These wildfires started on January 7 of this year in the Pacific Palisades. This fire is actively rampaging through California and has burned over 40,000 acres of land in LA County.

Thousands of people have lost their homes, personal belongings, and unfortunately in some cases, loved ones. The official reason as to how this fire started in the first place is unknown, however, we can likely attribute a huge reason to climate change.

The western part of the United States is notorious for its dry climates and intense heat, especially during the warmer months such as July and August. Though wildfires aren’t necessarily uncommon in regions of the country such as California, the numbers at which they are popping up have been increasing over the years.

A 2016 study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that climate change played a huge role when it came to drying out organic matter, which primarily doubled the amount of fires in the Western United States between the years 1984 and 2015. They also stated that “Drought and persistent heat set the stage for extraordinary wildfire seasons from 2020 to 2022 across many western states.”

Climate change doesn’t only affect the amount of global wildfires, but rather all other humanitarian emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, and heat waves. 

On that note, think about the number of hurricanes that have made landfall in the past couple of decades compared to older ones. Or think about the melting glaciers in the Arctic and the massive floods and devastation that is happening.

Take the flood we had back in fall of last year for example. According to Mr. Ford, the Earth and Environmental science teacher here at BCECHS, these floods can often be attributed to “sea level rise and beach erosion”. 

Mr. Ford also pointed out that another huge factor can be attributed to people migrating to places such as Brunswick County because of its mild climate, from places experiencing extreme weather such as California. He states that “The most noticeable effects [of climate change] are human caused from over development and urbanization”.

Animals are being displaced from their natural habitats and many animals are on the brink of extinction. Countries such as Greenland that house species reliant on the cold climate are melting rapidly. 

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research stated “Greenland is currently losing 234 billion tons of ice per year. That's enough ice to pack into 6,324 Empire State Buildings. Ice is melting seven times faster now than it was in the 1990s.”

Now, yes this is all true but what can I, one person, truly do to change this? 

One of the biggest ways to help is to speak up! Advocate for local climate change initiatives, and don’t be afraid to get out there and help yourself, or maybe even create your own movement!

Another great way is to make a compost bucket. Composting is a great way to keep food scraps away from landfills, leading to less methane emissions.

This, in turn, will lead to less drastic climate change, and help prevent future extreme weather emergencies caused by the warm climate, such as the LA Wildfires.

We have to remember, we all live here and work together as one. Humans have been the number one reason for the rapid rise in earth's surface temperature and taking the first step is a fantastic way to join the movement.

So, on that note, next time you are thinking about speaking out about global warming, or even doing something as small as starting a compost bin in your backyard, do it! You never know who is out there, and you may be the push somebody needs to start their own journey when it comes to tackling climate change!