Anchor Damage

Issue:

When people drop anchors off shore to go scuba diving, the anchors fall and destroy the coral when they land.  That little bit of coral is destroyed instantly, but with the current, the anchor will drag and destroy coral for a long way.  It makes it very difficult to remove your anchor to because the anchor becomes caught under the coral, which makes it dangerous to yourselves if you try to leave.

Solution:

Use a mooring ball!  Mooring balls are conveniently placed near good diving spots.  All you have to do to use a mooring ball is to hook a rope and attach it to the front of the boat.  It saves the coral and is easier than anchoring.

Coral Reef Ecosystem

Black Band Disease

Issue:

Black Band disease has appeared over the last twenty years and is very mysterious.  Some people think that it is caused by the rising temperature and others believe that it is caused by poisonous sediment running off into the coral.  The disease causes the coral to turn black initially and the band moves down the coral, leaving the rest of it white.

Solution:

Because the disease’s origin is not known, it is very difficult to stop and prevent it.  The best way to help is to turn off the lights, don’t waste water, use public transportation, and don’t pollute.  Everything that goes into our atmosphere and land eventually washes into the ocean.  The best way to help prevent this is to not use extra resources.

Zooxanthellae and Coral Relationship

“The zooxanthellae help the coral animal run its metabolism more efficiently, leaving extra energy for the animal to use to build the skeleton.  The zooxanthellae are dinoflagellates which photosynthesize.  Because the zooxanthellae may live IN the tissues of the coral animal, the coral has access to their photosynthetic products and so behaves somewhat like a plant-corals are generally found in the photic zone where their symbiotic zooxanthellae have access to the sunlight for photosynthesis.”

-Trey Shepard

In other words, the Zooxanthellae are animals that live in the coral to produce the bone structure for the coral.  So, the animal and plant live together unless the environment changes.

Commercial Development

Issue:

When major companies develop on land near coral reefs, they produce lots of loose sediment that wash over the coral and kill it.  These large companies also produce lots of waste which are all dumped into the ocean.  These companies often build with little to no regard to the local ecosystem.  The governments often cover the possible destruction of the coral caused by the companies to get money from commercial businesses. This waste goes into the environment and destroys corals and animals that all live in the ocean.

Solution:

Use locally run dive shops and hotels.  Not only will you be helping locally run business and supporting local economy, you will also be helping the environment that you are there to experience.  Local dive shops also know the main best places to dive, which are often hidden from large commercial development.

Sediment

Issue:

Sediment is often displaced after local development.  Sediment comes down to the coral reefs after large storms, moving such materials as fertilizer, dirt, and anything else that is loose, on top of the soil, and pushing it on top of the coral, suffocating it.  Because the zooxanthellae on the coral uses photosynthesis to survive, when they get buried, they die. Without the zooxanthellae, the corals survive on reserves.  Because corals are animals, they will use all of their reserve food sources, and die.  Without the coral, the fish will either die or leave because all their food sources will be gone.  All that will be left will be a coral wasteland.

Facts:

The zooxanthellae are what provide color to the coral, and is what attracts tourists from all around the world to visit places such as the British Virgin Islands and support the local economy. Coral Reefs support 25% of all oceanic life, so if the corals die, many of our

Solution:

Help with beach clean ups! Anything that is left on the beach will wash into the ocean and kill the coral and local animals.

Don’t use harmful chemicals!  Use biodegradable shampoo and conditioner, Everything that goes into the water will eventually turn up in the ocean and, therefore coral reefs.  Suave Naturals has a brand of natural biodegradable shampoo and conditioners.

Coral Reefs at high temperatures

A funny cartoon version of what happens to corals in high temperature:

A scientific version of what happens to corals in high temperatures (sorry about the way she pronounces algae.):