Nature Is Speaking

Actions Needed to Preserve Coral Reefs

Reducing greenhouse gases will be required to avoid irreversible effects climate-change has had on coral reefs.

 We will need to monitor climate change and ocean acidification, and project their impacts on ecological and human systems.

We need to develop ways to address these impacts that support local, national, and international policy. 

As well as take urgent actions to reduce the impact of elevated greenhouse gases on coral reef ecosystems.

Fishing impacts in coral reef areas, is ecologically unsustainable, and has lead to the depletion of key functional fish species in many locations.


 Minimizing negative fishing impacts throughout coral reef ecosystems is critical to revitalizing and protecting coral reef resources for current and future generations.

Problems facing coral reef ecosystems from land-based sources of pollution is broad and includes sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants, originating from a variety of land-based activities, that are transported in surface waters, runoff, groundwater seepage, and atmospheric deposition into coastal waters.

Controlling land-based sources of pollution through watershed management takes a concerted effort by all parties including local, state, federal and non-governmental organizations.

 Practices might include voluntary or regulatory activities on agricultural, public, private, urban or protected lands

For some people, seafood might just a part of meal plans, an option. For Pere villager, fish is their lives. "Titan of the Coral Sea" introduces the role of traditional fishing and modern fishing. The development in fishing techniques brings many challenges and opportunities to the Pere community and the fisheries ecosystem.
The use of spear-guns and underwater flashlights have ruined the reef and the fish population have dispersed into deeper ocean.
Fortunately, the threats have been found and conservation fish population have been established.
Click on this video below to learn more about their stories and their journey back to traditional fishing to protect the fisheries ecosystem.

Click here to help out Kekwa Clan and their fisheries

source: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/papuanewguinea/explore/stories-of-hope-for-fish-and-people.xml#video1

CO2 in the last 100 years

Carbon dioxide has been increasing over decades now, and with human activities contributing to global warming, the carbon dioxide will only keep getting worse. This will have a bigger impact on coral reefs ecosystem.

Coral Reef bleaching in the next 50 years

Coral reefs accross the world

The clip will introduce the 6 most spectacular coral reefs in the world. The diversity of marine ecosystem is not only the beauty of these places but also a vital source of income for the coastal communities. 

In this video, we will discover how many organizations, government, and international effort to protect the coral reef ecosystem. 

Some of the efforts are: understanding the global warming, surveillance efforts, marine management: partnership arrangement, enforcement, and applying long term protection, and maintain marine population.

They also list some of the anthropogenic causes to the fall of coral reef such as: over fishing, poor water/waste management, deforestation, excessive agriculture waste in the ocean, increasing carbon dioxide in the beach. 

PORTFOLIO PART 3

      Coral reefs are known to be some of the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on the planet.

       These ecosystems provide a food source to millions of people that live around them.  Coral reefs provide the habitat and breeding grounds for many economically viable fish species.  They also provide jobs and income to the local economies that surround them from fishing and tourism.

       Coral reefs are also very culturally important to many people around the world, especially in Polynesia.

 
       The estimated net benefits gained from coral reefs around the world are believed to be around 30 billion dollars a year.

For Hawaii in particular, the economic benefits from recreational activities, fishing, and the value of the biodiversity there are estimated at 360 million dollars a year.

      Deep sea reefs around the wold also hold value for ecosystems, serving as breeding grounds for many species, and are locations of large biodiversities and habitats.

       Many commercially important fish such as rockfish, shrimp, and crabs live in deep sea reefs.

       The properties of deep sea corals are also currently being researched for new medicines that have the potential to save many lives.

       According to the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008, 19 percent of the world's reefs are effectively lost, 15 percent are seriously threatened with loss in the next 10-20 years, and 20 percent are under threat of loss in the next 20-40 years.