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All over the world, coral reefs are being destroyed. Why? How? What will happen to coral reefs in the future? Well, the future is now and already coral reefs have started to disintegrate.

Coral reefs all over the world are being destroyed by pollution, tourism, and just plain careless human behavior. In fact, coral reef animals are so important to some sushi restaurants that fishermen will blow coral reefs up for easy fishing. Now, over 80% of the earth's reef's are destroyed or incredibly over-fished.

Think about it. Could our world survive without coral reefs when they generate $30 billion a year in U.S. dollars? The coral reef is important to the fishing industry, feeds coastal communities, protects the coast line from storms, and saves valuable money for the government when they do not have to pay for insurance caused by storms. And did you know that the coral reefs are important to making future medicines from organisms and fish?

As a storm rolls in, coastal residents are comforted because they know that the reefs are the main barrier of the worst storms, hurricanes, and typhoons along the coast. During the December Tsunami, the coral reef saved lives by taking most of the impact of the wave. If it had not been for the coral reef, the wave would have gone further inland, killing more people.

Like the rainforests, reefs have been found to produce medical resources as a cure for cancer and other diseases. This is made from organisms and fish from the coral reefs, which is why that when we (humans) destroy every acre of coral reefs, a medication for serious illnesses is lost.
Coral reefs from in clear, warm coastal, waters of the tropics and subtropics. These stunningly beautiful natural wonders are among the world’s oldest, most diverse, and most productive ecosystem. In terms of biodiversity, they are the marine equivalents of tropical rain forests.

Although coral reefs occupy only about 0.1% of the world’s ocean area, they provide numerous free ecological and economic services. They help moderate the atmospheric temperature by removing CO2 from the atmosphere, acts as natural barriers that help protect 15% of the world’s coastlines from erosion by battering waves and storms, and provide habitats for a variety of marine organisms.

Bad News: According to a 2005 report by the World of Conservation Union, 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been lost to coastal development, pollution, over fishing, warmer ocean temperatures, and other stresses.

One problem is coral bleaching. It occurs when a coral becomes stressed and the algae on which it depends for food and color die out, leaving an underlying white or bleached skeleton of calcium carbonate. Two causes of bleaching are increased water temperature and runoff of silt from the land (usually from forest clearing) that covers the coral and prevents photosynthesis.

Coral reefs are vulnerable to damage because they grow slowly and damage easily.

What can we do? As a tourist, or an owner of an aquarium, or even a student, how can we help the destruction of coral reefs?
There are thousands of things we can do, from just telling businesses that you know about reefs to helping out at a coral reef cleanup on the next day off for you. As a student, just learning about coral reefs will help.
Informing others on coral reefs will spread knowledge about the destruction of coral reefs and possibly save them.

doesn't matter where, people in general are careless.
Mainly because they are just not educated.
Alot of damages come from ancors just being trown off the side of the boat.
Sad.
And it take foever for a coral to recover.

oooohhhhh....
I have to admit something, my mom jacked a large fan coral.

it was a fue decades ago, and It was really pretty, (i saw in pics) but in the end it didnt even get to see daylight after the trip, It was lost in baggage forever.

I feel bad about it now. sad

Yay!
Save the Corals!

Thank you guys for reading and pass on this educating information!

If you find pic's of Ree'fs I'd love to see them.

heart

Where I live they are using parts of a demolished bridge to make artificial reefs. Not as good as the real thing, but I think it is a good effort anyhoo

Another green thread! This is great.

I've never seen a reef in person. The closest thing I've come to it is this little water globe that I got at a thrift shop with a piece of (artificial I hope) coral and a little glass clown fish in it. whee Oh, and pictures.

It seems to me, Catz, that humans must destroy everything in nature that is beautiful. We're like a freaking plague. xp

I know it.
It's so sad.
I don't understand why it's so hard to be enviromental freindly.