Environmental Concerns

Coral Reefs all around the world are dying off. This is the result of human impacts including overfishing, excessive tourism, pollution, coral mining, and climate change. 1/4 of coral reefs throughout the world are damaged and have no chance to be repaired. Meanwhile, another 2/3 of coral reefs are seriously threatened.

A main cause for the dying coral reefs is climate change. Corals are very sensitive to changes in temperature. With warmer water temperatures, corals are becoming bleached. This happens because the Zooxanthellae, which lives within the tissue, is leaving due to the warmer ocean temperatures. Without the Zooxanthellae, the coral loses its color and turns white. The coral is now considered bleached, which is a term referring to unhealthy coral that is likely to die off. The Great Barrier Reef is a major victim of this problem. In March 2016, one third of the entire Great Barrier Reef died.

Another main concern is the increase of CO2. With higher CO2 level, the water quality is becoming more acidic. These acidic conditions can dissolve coral skeletons, which are the building blocks of the reef. Without the older structures, the new ones have a more difficult time trying to grow. Below is a graph comparing the difference of corals with

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_threats/

http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/how_does_climate_change_affect_coral_reefs/

http://www.sciencealert.com/most-of-the-great-barrier-reef-above-this-line-is-now-dead

http://www.defenders.org/coral-reef/threats