27 Sep 2011
Simple Ways on How to Protect Coral Reefs
If you talk about coral reefs, you will probably think about tropical weather, great climate, clear blue waters and a swarm of fishes. You will surely revel at the wonders of these reefs when you go snorkeling or scuba diving out in the sea. The experience just would not be the same without the wonderful colors of the fishes and the reefs. Coral reefs are indeed very important because they provide habitats and protection to a large number of marine organisms. Some of these include algae, clams, oysters, sea urchins, star fishes, crabs, sea turtles, jellyfish, and all other types of fishes and marine organisms. These reefs also have a great impact in the monitoring of the water quality in the area, as well as the prevention of the erosion of coastlines. Even the local tourism industries of different areas benefit a lot from coral reefs because they are wonderful tourist attractions, which can translate to high income and revenue. Coral reefs truly bring a host of benefits and advantages to all types of organisms, which make them a very important part of the ecosystem.
Unfortunately, coral reefs have been subjected to a lot of stress and pressure, which have caused a lot of damage to a lot of reef communities. In fact, other places already have dead reefs, which have also affected the surrounding fishes and marine organisms. Reefs may be subjected to natural and human stresses that can be detrimental to their health. Some of these causes include hurricanes, storms, the use of pesticides and chemicals, as well as illegal dynamite fishing. These activities result to the degradation and the death of coral reefs, which also affects the entire marine ecosystem in the area. It is therefore crucial to look for several ways on how to protect these reefs.
In our own simple ways, we can actually help in the protection and conservation of coral reefs. For example, you can choose to support businesses and organizations that back various efforts for saving marine ecosystems. If you plan to go snorkeling, scuba diving or island hopping in a specific area, make sure that the company that you deal with has reef-friendly practices that aim to protect the marine life. Another way to help protect these reefs is to join a local beach and reef cleanup drive. Although this can be a very challenging and time-consuming activity, you will eventually find it to be fulfilling and rewarding knowing that you have helped a lot to save the environment. Garbage will always be detrimental to the health of these reefs; therefore, you need to support various activities that also support these causes.
You can also make a number of donations to organizations that aim to save the world’s reefs. There are hundreds of organizations around the world that fully support these activities, so try to make a small donation to help them with their activities. Even a very small amount will create a big impact on coral reefs, especially if you encourage some of your friends to support these organizations as well.

















