How long will the Caribbean coral reef be around?

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How long will the Caribbean coral reef be around?

Since the world started to realise the damage being done to the planet, this question has been around. We need to find out why the coral reef is shrinking and what can be done to help? Everybody knows of something that is affecting the coral reefs, but not everything is so clear, somethings we need to find out about.

Interestingly the Caribbean contains just over 20% of the world’s coral reef and there is a huge amount of damage being done to it. In Honduras where pineapple, banana and sugar cane plantains are so wide spread, fertilizer is being used in heavy amounts. The nutrients in this fertilizer kill coral and fish in the sea. Fertilizer and erosion are the two biggest culprits for damage to the coral reef in this area and they are both caused by farming, tree felling and building of new properties. But the main thing we don’t really realise is that fish are massively important to the coral reefs. The fish act like the corals personal grooming kit, they remove bacteria from the coral keeping it clean and healthy, they also eat the surrounding seaweed making sure oxygen levels stay up in the sea.

Apparently fish have dropped in population rates by around 70-95%, a massive fall. Over-fishing isn’t only destroying our food source; it is damaging the coral reef as well.

Another problem is an obvious one, Global Warming. This is the big one, rises in global warming have created acids in the sea and reduced the amount of Aragonite. This is a carbonate mineral that coral requires to stay alive and even begin growth. In 40 years the acid levels in the sea will reach such high levels, the coral wont be able to survive the conditions.

However there are few things that we can do to try and help. There are ventures to help the coral that we can take part in and have a good time while we do it. If you do go on luxury holidays or Caribbean holidays you could have the option to go and volunteer for a coral clean up operation, where you can help clean coral underwater or on the shore. This would have to be some of the best volunteer work you could, diving with the fish and doing your bit.

Also if you go fishing around coral, try not to drop anchor, you will tear the coral apart and damage anything living around it

So if your thinking about going abroad or maybe somewhere tropical, maybe some of you want to have weddings abroad, it might be a good idea to get there as soon as you can. If you want you could chip in with the divers and help the coral survive, you never know how much longer it will be around.

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