The Conservation Of Coral Reef Conservation In The World

Coral Reef Conservation

Coral reefs are calcium carbonate structures secreted by miniscule coral polyps, and are one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Home to about 25 percent of ocean life, coral reefs are additionally crucial because they protect coastlines from damaging situations such as tropical storms and wave action. Today, more than 20 species of coral reefs are endangered due to pollution, ocean acidification, and rising ocean temperatures (Lee, J. J. 2014). Florida is home to the Great Florida Reef, the third largest coral barrier reef system in the world. Coral reef conservation plays a major role in reducing their extinction. Studies have estimated that by 2050 about 90 percent of coral reefs will have died out (Becatoros,

These are factors which can fluctuate naturally, and thus the state of coral reefs has changed in the past in correlation to global climate change. Although it takes a very long amount of time, the regrowth of corals can happen when the right conditions are present. So in the past, when the natural processes of the earth destroyed or killed corals, they would enter into a period of growth again once the necessary conditions were fulfilled. The problem for the past few decades is that coral reefs are threatened by more than the natural warming of the globe or their predators. Human actions have both introduced more diseases to corals, and increased the rate at which the temperature of the planet is increasing. Subsequently, we can now see a rather significant decline in coral reefs all around the world. For instance, the percentage of coral coverage on the Caribbean reefs has decreased to 8 percent, from the 50 percent coverage present in the 1970s (Yong, E. 2013). This is due to both the impact that humans have on global climate, as well as destructive and/or unsustainable fishing habits in coral reef ecosystems. It seems to be that the move towards protecting coral reefs, through laws and the work of nonprofit organizations, became prevalent after the early 1980s. Prior to this point in time, corals were

One of the organizations that aid in coral reef conservation and rehabilitation is the Coral Restoration Foundation; founded in 2007, this organization’s mission is to “restore our coral reefs, educating others on the importance of our oceans, and using science to further research and monitoring techniques” (Coral Restoration Foundation. (n.d.)). They reach their mission by creating coral tree nurseries and administering restoration programs that focus on threatened coral reef species (Coral Restoration Foundation. (n.d.)). Reef Relief is another non-profit organization that is “dedicated to improving and protecting coral reef [ecosystems]”. Reef Relief was founded in 1987 and began to make their statement with the “installation of reef mooring buoys in Key West.” Now-in-day, this organization has started several projects and programs, like the Coral Nursery Project and the Coral Reef Conservation Program, that educate residents and visitors about the benefits of protecting coral reefs and methods on how to do so (Reef Relief. (n.d.)). The Florida Ocean Alliance is a non-profit organization whose goal is to “protect and enhance Florida’s coastal and ocean resources for continued social and economic benefits”. The Florida Ocean Alliance began in 1999 and since then has been making an effort to reach the public and policy makers on information about ocean and coastal issues that