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Coral Reefs - Catch 'Em While You Can
The vibrant pinks, blues, reds and greens of the world’s most stunning coral reefs are rapidly disappearing, as record-warm ocean waters and disease blanch them into ghostly white underwater carcasses.
Scientists around the world are growing increasingly concerned since an unprecedented number of Caribbean coral colonies – some of which had survived since the 1400s – all died in a matter of months this spring. Because these reefs regenerate at exceedingly slow rates – growing about the size of a single dime each year – researchers believe that many will now be gone for good.
The loss of reefs in the Caribbean – where at least one-third of the coral in monitoring sites has died – mirrors coral deaths around the globe. Reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have been struck by mortality rates in the 90 percent range in recent years.
Scientists blame sustained warming of the oceans, which hit record high temperatures in the Caribbean in the summer and fall of 2005 that lasted for months. The warming waters killed off algae that provides food for the coral. Without food, coral will turn white. If it remains in this bleached state for more than a week, its chances of recovery grow slim. Some of the Caribbean coral began to recover last fall, but many colonies were then struck by disease and died.
Researchers blame global warming for the record ocean temperatures and fear the recent spate of deaths is a warning of trouble ahead. Coral reefs aren’t just pretty to look at – they provide an important function. They act as a break to help thwart the ferocity of hurricanes and tsunamis, provide habitat for numerous fish and other aquatic species, and are the basis for a multibillion dollar tourism and commercial fishing industry for many small islands in the Caribbean. Recently, research has also shown that they hold promise as a possible source for new medicines.
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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org
