Save The Reef

PROTECTION!!

2008-09-10T09:35:00.004+08:00

We are back!

It's protection that's the real trick and it is ordinary people who are making it happen. Government efforts in much of the world have been most of the time,USELESS.People just glance at pollution laws or advertisments or even posters but just ignore them.Ecuador(a country) stalls for decades while tourism explodes in the delicate Galapagos, only to enact a plan that makes it worse. The status quo scarcely wavers: relentless destruction of coral reefs. In those bright spots where people are changing the way they treat the reefs, you'll find fishermen, students (like us), divers, biologists and even concerned citizens of all stripes transformed into activists and volunteers, taking matters into our own hands to protect the coral reefs that are dear and vital to us.
Please help the world,
the people who loves the corals and lastly,
yourself by playing a part in saving the corals.

Loving the ocean,
Christabel
Miao Xuan
Celia

Where are reefs located?

2008-09-06T11:33:00.006+08:00

Hello again!

Good to know:
Coral reefs are mainly located in tropical oceans near the equator.
The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The second largest coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize, in Central America.
The Coral Reefs in Belize

Belize is home to the second largest coral reef in the world and it is also just outside of Australia's Great Barrier Reef!
Other reefs are found in Hawaii, the Red Sea, and other areas in tropical oceans where there are suitable temperatures and conditions for reefs to florish.

Loving the ocean,
Christabel
Celia
Miao Xuan

Save the corals!

2008-09-06T11:21:00.006+08:00

Hi all!

Just like fortune tellers,Biologists have seen the future, and their message: Living coral reefs are the foundation of marine life, and thus a crucial support for human life, yet all over the world they are dead or dying because people are destroying them killing them at a catastrophic rate. Already 10 percent are lost, and scientists say 70 percent of all corals on the planet will be destroyed in 20 to 40 years unless people stop doing what they're doing—pollution, sewage, erosion, cyanide fishing, clumsy tourism and get serious about saving the coral reefs now. There is still hope though!: Reefs are resilient and they grow back when protected.

Loving the ocean,
Miao Xuan
Celia
Christabel

Why did we create this blog?

2008-08-29T12:56:00.004+08:00

The ICRI International Year of the Reef 2008 is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability, and to motivate people to take action to protect them.Hence we have created this blog as we hope to influence YOU(the person reading this post)to help to save the corals!Don't you know,everyone must play a part!

Signing off,

Christabel
Celia
Miao Xuan

Video

2008-08-22T15:57:00.002+08:00

Global Warming

2008-08-22T14:21:00.003+08:00

HeyHey...

The Global warming is causing the rising sea temperatures cause coral bleaching, stressing corals that expel their symbiotic algae, lose their color, and lose their vitality. Corals are the canaries in the coal mine for our planet's health. If the present rate of destruction continues,only 30% of the world's coral reefs will be left by the year 2050. Help save the corals ok?

Loving the ocean,
Christabel
Miao Xuan
Celia

PHYSICAL DAMAGE

2008-08-22T14:14:00.000+08:00

HI EVERYBODY!!

We are going to introduce you another threat to the coral reefs which is the physical damage on corals.
Anchors dropped on reefs, as well as accidental boat groundings and propellor dredging can crush and scar coralheads, destroying years of growth. Diver/snorkeler impacts from fins, hands, equipment or standing on corals can crush the fragile living coral polyps. Marine debris, especially plastics and monofilament line, can smother or abrade corals and is deadly for birds, fish and turtles that become entangled in it or mistake it for food and ingest it. Storms and hurricanes wreak extensive damage on coral reefs, which serve as a barrier to adjacent lands.

Loving the ocean,
Celia
Christabel
Miao Xuan

ANOTHER THREAT

2008-08-22T14:10:00.000+08:00

YO ALL!

Another threat to the coral reefs is overharvesting. As fish and other wildlife populations decline, the delicate predator-prey balance of life on the reef is upset. Experts warn that fish populations are at risk because maximum sustainable yields for many species around the world, including some that are endangered, have been exceeded. Destructive fishing techniques such as the use of cyanide and trawling gear damage reef habitat. The outright depletion caused by the harvest of coral and live rock for construction and the aquarium/curio trade has destroyed many reefs around the world. Save the ocean!!!

Loving the ocean,
Miao Xuan
Celia
Christabel

A Threat

2008-08-22T14:03:00.000+08:00

Hello:)
Pollution is also a threat to the Coral reefs.They are impacted by multiple stressors including agricultural runoff from pesticides and fertilizers, inadequate sewage and stormwater treatment, siltation from coastal development and beach renourishment projects, contamination from petroleum products, and sewage, oil and toxic discharges from boats, including antifouling paint applied to boat bottoms.

Loving the ocean,
Christabel
Miao Xuan
Celia

THREATS TO CORALS

2008-08-22T13:53:00.000+08:00

HI EVERYBODY!!

There are some threats to corals.One of them is the Water Quality Decline.

Corals require clear, clean, nutrient-free waters to thrive. Algal blooms caused by excess nutrients in the water column out-compete slow growing corals for habitat and reduce oxygen levels, decreasing visibility, increasing chlorophyll levels, and inhibiting photosynthesis dependent on sunlight. The kinds and extent of diseases attacking corals have increased in recent years and have reduced coral coverage. As oxygen levels are reduced, fish and other sea life cannot survive at the reef.

Loving the Corals,
Celia
Christabel
Miao Xuan

Atolls

2008-08-22T13:48:00.001+08:00

Hey people,

This is the last of the three types of coral reefs we are going to share with you-atolls.

Atolls are reefs surrounding a lagoon. They are created when an island surrounded by barrier reefs sinks below the ocean surface, leaving a circular reef, called an atoll. Atolls are also created when water levels rise to cover an island and the surrounding reef grows to keep up with the surface of the water.

Loving the ocean,
Miao Xuan
Celia
Christabel

Barrier Reefs

2008-08-22T13:42:00.001+08:00

Hello again!!

This is another type of coral reefs in the three different types of coral reefs.The Barrier reefs are separated from the shore by a wide, deep lagoon. They grow only when there has been a change of sea level on the adjacent coast. This occurs when a fringing reef grows upwards so that it can stay near the surface of the water. Coral reefs like to grow just below the waterline so that they have the best access to the sunlight. It is best if a reef grows at the same rate as the rise of the water. Barrier reefs also grow where the land is sinking faster than the water. The number of barrier reefs has increased dramatically as the greenhouse effect has warmed up our atmosphere causing the water levels to rise. Save the ocean!!!

Loving the ocean,
Christabel
Miao Xuan
Celia

TYPES OF CORALS

2008-08-22T13:35:00.002+08:00

HEY GUYS!!

There are eight types of coral reefs and we are going to share three out of the eight of them with you.One of them is the fringing reefs.

Fringing reefs grow in shallow water along the shore and prefer arid climates with limited river runoff. Fringing reefs are platforms that are continuous with the shore. That means they grow right up to the edge of the shore.

Loving the Corals
Celia
Christabel
Miao Xuan

IMPORTANCE OF CORALS

2008-08-22T13:28:00.000+08:00

HEY PEOPLE!!

Coral reefs are important for many reasons. Most importantly, they provide protection and shelter for many different species of fish. Without coral reefs, these fish are left homeless with nowhere to live and no where to have their babies. Not only do these fish increase the diversity of our world, but also reef fish and mollusks feed between 30 and 40 million people every year. They also make beautiful pets and the money made by catching and selling these animals provides many people with an income so that they can feed their families.

Corals are very important in controlling how much carbon dioxide is in the ocean water. Coral polyp turns carbon dioxide in the water into a limestone shell. Without coral, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and that would affect all living things on Earth.
Coral reefs are very important because they protect coasts from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before it gets to the shore. That is why they are called barrier reefs. They provide a barrier between the ocean and the shore.
Save the coral reefs!!!

Loving the ocean,
Miao Xuan
Celia
Christabel

CORAL POLYPS

2008-08-22T13:16:00.000+08:00

Yo people!!!

Coral polyps are a part of corals and are primarily nocturnal. At night a coral polyp will stick its tentacles out of its vase and let the tentacles wave in the current. Then, when plankton float by, the coral polyp stings them with its tentacles and brings the plankton inside its shell to have for lunch. The special thing is that it controls the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in the water.For your infomation,the picture is a coral polyp!

Loving the ocean,

Christabel

Miao Xuan

Celia

CORAL REEFS

2008-08-22T13:10:00.001+08:00

Good Day people...

A coral reef is about a million of coral polyp shells all stuck one on top of the other. When coral polyps die, new ones land and grow right on top of the old empty shells. There are over 500 different species of coral. Some look like brains and some like fans and some like the antlers of deer, but they are all made up of tiny coral polyps. Organisms other than corals can form reefs. A reef is simply a structure in the shallow parts of the ocean that serves as a home to animals and plants. Many sunken ships have become reefs and humans even create artificial reefs to replace the coral reefs that we have destroyed!Some artificial reefs are specially constructed for the purpose, but others are made of tires linked together, old appliances linked together and even discarded military equipment like tanks and helicopters.

Loving the corals,
Celia
Christabel
Miao Xuan

WHAT IS A CORAL?

2008-08-22T13:06:00.001+08:00

Hi guys...

Coral is an animal that belongs to the phylum cnidarians. Cnidarians are radically symmetric, which means that they are the same all the way around, 360 degrees! They are built like sacs with a hole in one end that is surrounded by stinging tentacles.
Save the corals!!

Loving the ocean,
Miao Xuan
Celia
Christabel

INTRODUCTION TO CORALS

2008-08-22T12:16:00.003+08:00

Hi people!!

Did you know that Coral reefs are home to more kinds of life than any other marine environment, rivalling even the tropical rainforests on land. In fact, coral reefs reached their current level of biodiversity fifty million years ago and have been on the planet for over 400 million years.

Coral Reefs are the oldest, most complex ecosystems on earth. They are home to more kinds of life than any other ocean environment. They have existed for over 200 million of years. These majestic underwater worlds are home to some of the world’s most colorful and diverse life forms including fish, hard and soft corals, sponges, jellyfish, anemones, snails, rays, crabs, moray eels, lobsters, sea turtles, dolphins, and seabirds. However, most coral reefs are now threatened with extinction due to a combination of impacts that are particular to each reef, depending upon the use and upland activities affecting it. Please save the reefs!!

Loving the ocean,

Christabel

Miao Xuan

Celia