Why Coral Reefs Are Necessary to Earth’s Survival
Is there anything more beautiful than the ocean? Colourful underwater rain forests, countless marine creatures and endless sparkling blue hues. But the oceans are under threat, now more than ever before, and coral reefs are right at the top of the list.
But what is the purpose of coral reefs and why are they so necessary to Earth’s survival?
What Are Coral Reefs?
Basically, coral reefs are an underwater ecosystem formed of colonies of coral polyps (very small, soft-bodied organisms) and held together by a protective, limestone skeleton. They actually begin when a polyp attaches itself to a rock or the sea bed and then divides itself into thousands of little clones. They first appeared around 485 million years ago, gradually multiplying over time and turning into what I like to call ‘the ocean’s rainforest’.
Most reefs grow best in warm, shallow water and are most commonly found in tropical waters. They form some of Earth's most diverse ecosystems and provide a home for many marine species, including fish, molluscs, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms and sponges. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to get up close with any coral reefs you’ll notice just how fragile they can be. They’re also very sensitive to water conditions but seem to flourish in ocean waters that provide few nutrients.
Importance of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs not only provide shelter for a number of marine species but also help with nutrient recycling. They are the source of nitrogen, provide essential nutrients and assist in crucial carbon fixing for marine food chains.
Reefs are formed by using the dissolved carbon dioxide in the ocean. When converting this gas into limestone, corals are able to control the carbon dioxide levels. Without this, life on Earth would be negatively impacted by much higher carbon dioxide levels.
Coral reefs provide necessary ingredients for numerous life-saving modern medicines and play a vital role in medical research. Using the chemicals found in reefs, scientists have developed treatments for cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, leukaemia, lymphoma and skin cancer. Without coral reefs, humanity wouldn’t have such medicines, facing a greater risk to survival.
They are a huge tourist attraction in many countries all over the world, namely for exotic looking souvenir items and water-based activities like snorkelling etc.
Coral reefs also help preserve shorelines by creating a barrier against the ocean’s powerful currents. When waves descend, they strike the reefs first which then redirects and redistributes the water, forcing it to slow down in different directions.
What Dangers Do Coral Reefs Face?
Unfortunately, coral reefs face various threats from global stresses. Rising temperatures due to climate change, human-induced pollution, overfishing, disease, increased invasive species (including inexperienced divers touching and removing coral), geological hazards and excess nutrients.
One way of improving coral reef health and helping it thrive is constructing artificial reefs in areas where the physical conditions can be monitored. These artificial reefs will then continue to increase the coral reef and marine population as well as provide a ‘safe space’ for rehabilitation. All scientific research data that is carried out and collected will also continue to help document and understand any ongoing trends in reef health.
Coral Restoration
Generally speaking, there are two main types of coral restoration: Active Restoration and Passive Restoration. Passive refers to ceasing environmental stressors, introducing marine protected areas and halting all disturbances that omit threats to the coral reefs. Active refers to projects that compose of direct management techniques such as securing broken corals by using strong and long-lasting materials to help restore them back to full health.
Many damaged reefs can take years, even decades to recover with most never doing so on their own without a solid structure to attach themselves to. In areas that have been reduced to sand or where the reef is lost due to various disturbances, structural restoration is necessary.
One way of improving coral reef health and helping it to thrive is to construct artificial reefs in areas where the physical conditions can be monitored. Hopefully, these artificial reefs will then continue to increase the coral reef and marine population as well as provide a ‘safe space’ for rehabilitation. All scientific research data that is carried out and collected will also continue to help document and understand any ongoing trends in reef health.
