coral bleaching

Before we get into some complex issues on my page, we need to start with the first tell tale signs that shit has started to get bad in the ocean. If you don’t live under a rock, I assume you’ve heard the words “coral bleaching” before. I’m also sure you’ve heard about the fact that the majority of the biggest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, is all dead (mostly true). But how did this happen? Coral reefs are habitats and safe havens for hundreds of thousands of organisms in our oceans wether they live on them, hang out around them, or eat things that live on or around them. But what a lot of people don’t know is that coral are living organisms too. Coral are made out of tiny little things called polyps. These, clustered together, create a hardened exoskeleton made out of calcium carbonate. Coral’s best friend is a photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae (still don’t know how to pronounce that one). These two have a symbiotic relationship, meaning that they use sunshine for food in return for a place to live. The zooxanthellae is also what gives coral their vibrant colors. With the ocean waters getting warmer, this expels the zooxanthellae. They die. This turns the coral white, and hence causes coral bleaching. Big problem. Coral reefs are also major absorbers of carbon dioxide. Without them, the regulation of CO2 would go down a drastic amount and contribute to climate change getting worse. Not chill. So, how do we stop this? Well, the oceans getting warmer isn’t the thing we need to try to fix. Restoring these reefs and planting more is the way we can fix this. Lucky for you, coral restoration is one of the most funded and targeted projects that oceanic conservationists have been devoting their time to. This doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do to help, but this give me at least a little bit of comfort knowing that people are doing something to help this. So, what can you do? Wear reef safe sunscreen, don’t touch the coral when you’re near it, minimize the use of fertilizers (tell yo parents), and spread the word! Support non profits by donating and spreading awareness. And, if you feel compelled enough, there are hundreds of volunteer programs for coral restoration. I hope that this taught you something and I will talk to you next week. If you have any questions, please feel free to dm me on Instagram, email, or text! Be conscious and be kind.