Ryan y Rebeca

Coral reefs are the most diverse and important marine ecosystem that are dying and need
to be protected. Ocean acidification changes ocean chemistry through decreases in pH affecting
coral reef ecosystems. Coral reefs are largely dependent on coastal mangrove forests. Reefs in
mangroves are more resistant and may be able to help dead reefs. Other than helping corals we’re
also discovering how corals adapt to the increases in ocean temperature, for example; corals can
pass beneficial algal symbionts to offspring to help them cope with rising temperature.
Government and organization help are needed to have a greater impact on corals protection. Social
media is a great tool to get people involved in updating scientist and government on the state of
coral reefs.

Climate change is the greatest global threat to coral reef ecosystems. Scientific evidence
clearly shows that the Earth's atmosphere and oceans are warming. Increased greenhouse gases
from human activities result in climate change and ocean acidification. Climate change = ocean
change. The world's oceans are a massive sink that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) changing ocean
chemistry through decreases in ph. It begins to reduce calcification rates in the growth of reefs and
structural integrity. Contributing factors that increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere include
burning fossil fuels for heat and energy, producing some industrial products, raising livestock,
fertilizing crops, and deforestation. In the long run the future of coral reefs will depends on
reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

With coral reefs in decline scientists are pointing out another strategy to save reefs,
preserving mangroves to help coral reefs survive climate change. Mangrove trees serve as a refuge
for corals as their shade to protect them from extra heating and help the corals thrive. This allows
the corals to restore themselves and recover from any type of disease or bleaching. The corals in
mangroves are growing to be more resistant to bleaching than the other reefs. These corals that are
used to changing environments can better weather with extreme heat. That raises hope that these
more bleach-resistant corals may be able to restore and help dead reefs. This ups the chances that
at least some species will survive the coming changes.
 With corals slowly disappearing from the earth, they’re starting to adapt to the ever-
changing environment. Algae gives corals energy, removes waste from its body and produces
oxygen while the coral provides the algae protection, and a way to use photosynthesis. The
energy given by the algae lets corals grow calcium carbonate, the hard material reefs are made
out of, the algae also provides the colorful hue of the coral reefs. The rising temperatures are
splitting the algae from the coral, starving the coral and making it lose its color. In the wake of
the climate crisis, corals are shuffling the algae in their cells, favoring the algae with more
resistance to the changing temperature and the algae that provide more energy. The species
studied, montipora digitata, showed a surprising discovery, they could package algae in their
eggs during reproduction, with the same rearrangement from the adult to the child. This
mechanism might prove vital to the coral’s survivability in the hotter environment. This might be
a good sign of more survivability for corals, but this is a small change in a massive increase of
sea water temperatures, coral reefs need our help conserving them and helping them survive into
the future.

A recent study with published by an international partnership of government agencies,

universities, and non-governmental organizations that includes the Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS) outlines three potential strategies for helping restore coral reefs threatened by climate
change and human activity. The first strategy is to Protect Surviving Reefs In "Cool Spots": New
research and discoveries call for an international network of coral reef conservation to save the
world’s last functioning coral reefs. The second strategy is to recover, encouraging coral recovery
that have been affected by bleaching or other diseases. The third strategy is to Transform
recognizing that some coastal societies will need to transform away from living or depending on
reefs that are no longer functioning. These findings show that strategic local management like
government and organizations can play a role in helping protect corals.

Social media is a very powerful tool, it can be used to change opinions, influence people
and make movements. There’s a massive movement called teamtrees where one dollar equals one
tree planted. Millions of people are donating to this cause, including many public figures, this was
all created by internet influencers and the community. We need social media like YouTube,
Instagram, etc, to inform people on what’s happening to the ocean and the coral reefs and how
they affect other creatures including us. After informing the public about the crisis coral reefs are
facing, the public can push famous influencers and artists to do something about it, and create a
movement, we need to protect our coral reefs. We can also update scientists on coral reefs anytime
were at a beach, creating a website where citizens can sign up and sent videos and photos of coral
reefs wherever you are. This a very powerful tool for scientists to know more about reefs all over
the world and help in the conservation of them. Simple things we can do to help a bit with the
ocean is the use of reusable materials instead of using one use product, to keep trash out of oceans
and picking up after yourself.

Corals are vital to ocean life and they need us to keep going. Social media is a very strong
tool to create a movement and pressure the government to do something about the climate crisis.
The benefits the corals in mangroves provide to other reefs and the adaptation of the montipora
digitata to pass algae too their offspring are definitely good ways to improve corals survivability.
But this isn’t enough, we need change how we mass produce, all this co2 is being produced by the
way treat the planet, polluting it with cars, factories, etc: and how we treat the ocean like a dump,
throwing all our waste in the ocean without realizing the consequences this produces.

References:

1. Hope for coral recovery may depend on good parenting. (2019, September 16).
Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190916081500.htm.
2. "Good Coral Parenting" For Reef Recovery. (2019, September 28). Retrieved from
https://creationfactfile.com/5680/good-coral-parenting-for-reef-recovery/.
3. News Releases. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-
Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/12877/A-NEW-HOPE-FOR-CORAL-
REEFS-Largest-Ever-Study-of-Coral-Communities-Unlocks-Global-Solution-to-
Save-Reefs.aspx.
4. Warne, K., & Skovranova, M. (2018, November 29). Can new science save dying coral
reefs? Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/great-barrier-reef-
restoration-transplanting-corals/.
5. US Department of Commerce, & National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(2015, March 3). How does climate change affect coral reefs? Retrieved from
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coralreef-climate.html.
6. Greenwood, V. (2015, February 11). To Save Coral Reefs, First Save the Mangroves.
Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/2/150210-mangrove-
protect-coral-bleaching-science/.