I’ve written before that water issues and climate change are inescapably linked. This applies not just to the effect on terrestrial habitat like rivers, groundwater, and the like, but the marine environment.
I grew up a fair amount of my youth in the South Pacific, born in July (a water sign), with over 2,000 dives (along with divemaster, rescue diver, high-altitude, etc. certifications). The awe and beauty I’ve seen I fear will no longer be present for our children to enjoy.
Coral reefs make up 0.01% of the sea bottom. But over 25% of all sea life lives in that fraction of the ocean. And that endangered habitat is critical to billions of humans on the planted. Reefs provide the backbone of all sea life, fish stocks, and protect coastal zones. Without the reefs the marine life that billions on the planet rely on for economic life and food will be impaired, lost, eliminated.
In the last forty years, global temperatures have risen 1.2 F degrees and the result has been the loss of 50% of al coral reefs. The general acceptance is that if temperatures rise to +2 degrees, 99% of all reefs will be lost. And, at the present rate of warming, that will be in the next generation’s lifetime.
Three culprits attack the reefs: Heat, acid, and turbulence. When subjected to these influences, corals, which are animals (colonial invertebrates to be exact), become what is known as “bleached.” When stressed by temperature, acid, or storms, coral expel zooxanthellac (algae in their tissues) leaving only their white skeletons.
· Heat: Corals live in a narrow band of temperature. Too hot, they die. Thermal stress is the largest threat to coral.
· Acidification: The ocean is a large carbon sink. Increased carbon dioxide absorption results in lower PH (increase acid in the ocean).
· Storms: As global and sea temperatures rise, stronger and more frequent storms occur challenging the already weakened coral structure.
It’s not all gloom and doom, with global efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions, the pattern can be slowed. And, there are a lot of bright, new ideas bubbling up (sorry for the cliché). Until massive cuts to NOAA’s budget, studies abounded to combat reef loss. NGO’s like The Coral Reef Alliance and Florida’s Coral Restoration Foundation have been bright spots in protecting reefs. Social media has played a positive role in educating care when snorkeling, diving, and boating around reef systems. And, new technology like concrete breeze blocks to artificially assist coral formation and coral nurseries for transplanting coral, hold promise.
In short, this is our generation’s problem to solve. I’ve had countless dives on the Great Barrier, and throughout the Caribbean, Red Sea, and South Pacific. It used to be uncommon, shocking to see a bleach event, now it is the norm. We created the problem, and we can fix it so that the next generation can have the wonder of the sea I have been lucky enough to experience.