The Destruction of the Coral Reef—–1

A recent study has shown that over 75% of the world’s coral reefs are at a risk of destruction from global and local threats. The common local threats that the coral is exposed to are such as destructive fishing, over-fishing, untreated sewage, coastal development, damage from ships and agricultural runoff. On the global arena, climate change has posed grave concerns on the future of the corals. As the sea surface temperatures continue to rise, the result of this is the bleaching of many corals with some even dying in the process.

Still, increased levels of carbon-dioxide concentrations increase the acidity of the oceans and this proves to be quite challenging for reefs to be able to build their beautiful and complex skeletons. Unless concrete steps are taken in efforts of reducing emission of the greenhouse gases and local pressures, 90% of the world’s coral reefs will be in a grave threat by 2030. And if this continues, virtually all coral reefs will be under the wave of destruction by 2050. This is quite saddening as it means that our future generations will not be able to enjoy the beauty of corals and enjoy their many benefits.

But coral reefs are actually not doomed to extinction as such and the destruction currently experienced by them can be lifted if the aquarium industries engage in initiatives aiming at minimizing the impact of their activities in the corals. There is really so much that you can do as an aquarist to save corals and you really don’t even have to be a seasoned scientist to impact positively on coral reefs. You can make a significant difference everyday which the future generation will gladly thank you for.

By taking effective but quite simple actions such as making your own reef rock, buying dry rock and even buying propagated corals you can really help save the corals in a major way. Always remember that you can either opt to play a role in the continued marine life decline or you can have a positive impact in preservation of aquatic resources. As an aquarist, it is essential that you choose aquarium species that are more robust and get them from sustainable sources rather than buying fish which has been sourced from coral reefs. In addition, if the demand for coral reef products is scaled down, this will go a long way to ensuring that our coral reefs remain intact for a long time to come.

The aquarium industry can in general contribute a lot in saving the coral reef which is in a grave danger of destruction. Aquarists should also need to be educated about marine life and share their knowledge with others. Joining organizations like savingcorals.com can also help a lot in spreading the word out about coral reefs and how to save them from the impending danger. Giving your donations, buy our propagated corals or Saving Corals Swag  will really help in saving the coral reefs from these many and varied threats that face it today. We donate 10% of all our profits to saving the reef and help preserve the corals for our future generation.