What YOU Can Do!

Even if you don't live near a coral reef, there are many things you can do to spread awareness of the danger that coral reefs are in, and to help reverse the effects of global warming. There are many websites that give lists of ways you can help save the reefs. Check them out! I have put together ten of these, using some of these websites.

1. Support organizations that protect coral reefs. Many groups have coral reef programs, and your support will make a big difference (Coral Reef Alliance)

2. Help reduce pollution: Walk, bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs (The Nature Conservancy)


Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

3. If you dive, don’t touch! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles! Keep your fins’ gear, and hands away from the coral, as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)


Photo Credit: National Geographic: Kids

4. Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater eventually find their way back into the oceans (Coral Reef Alliance)

5. Respect local guidelines when you visit a reef. Help keep coral reefs healthy by respecting local customs, recommendations and regulations. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to be a reef-friendly tourist (Coral Reef Alliance)

6. Plant a tree: Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet and the rising temperatures of our oceans (The Nature Conservancy)


Photo Credit: Sonya's Green Page

7. Visit your local aquarium or zoo. Ask what they are doing and how you can help conserve our coral reefs. The answer may pleasantly surprise you. Visit the American Zoo and Aquarium Association to find a zoo or aquarium near you (Coral Reef Alliance)

8. Volunteer. Volunteer and community coral reef monitoring programs are very important. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, or other estuarine environment) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

9. Contact your government representatives: Demand they take action to protect coral reefs, stop sewage pollution of our oceans, expand marine protected areas and take steps to reverse global warming (The Nature Conservancy)

10. Spread the word: Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Share this excitement and encourage others to get involved (The Nature Conservancy)


Photo Credit: Oil Change International

Chinese Coal Ship - Update

In a previous post, I talked about the Chinese coal ship that ran aground in the Great Barrier Reef a little over a week ago. The ship was taking a shortcut and was about 9 miles off course. This past week, "Svitzer Salvage Australasia pumped off much of the 975 tonnes of fuel oil," according to an article from Environment News Science.

Monday evening, the coal ship was pulled out of the reef by three tugboats and relocated closer to Great Keppel island for inspection. While talking about the punishment for the people responsible, Rachel Nolan, Queensland state Transport Minister, was quoted saying "Make no mistake, this company will pay a very substantial price for this incident. Their ship was off course in very environmentally sensitive areas and they will pay the price." (Reuters Article)


Photo Credit: TreeHugger.com

Russell Reichelt, chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said that the ship made a "gash" in the reef and the toxic paint on the hull of the ship was also damaging the coral. According to David Wachenfeld, the almost two-mile gash made by the Shen Neng 1 "is, by far the largest ship grounding scar we have seen on the Great Barrier Reef to date." (Yahoo! News)


Photo Credit: BBC News

An investigation is underway about ships taking shortcuts through the reef, and the Queensland Government "has already moved to introduce stronger penalties for polluting ships." (Reuters Article)

Land Run-Off

Land run-off is another major issue threatening the Great Barrier Reef. Run-off from the land runs into rivers and these rivers go to the ocean and are deposited into the Great Barrier Reef waters. The concern is that the run-off consists of many pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers used for farming, sewage, garbage and any harmful materials from work or construction being done on the coast, to name a few. (Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef.)

According to a 2003 article from New Scientist, run-off from agriculture alone has "reduced coral cover and biodiversity in recent years." Pesticides are used by farmers to rid crops of unwanted bugs and pests. Fertilizer is used to make plants grow, however it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These are two of the main pollutants effecting the quality of water in the reef. Obviously if these elements have negative effects on humans and bugs, they are going to have negative effects on marine life as well.


Photo Credit: PharmacyEscrow Blog

In 2003, the Australian government put almost $11 million into The Reef Water Quality Protection plan, whose goal is to increase the quality of water going into the Great Barrier Reef. The two main goals of the plan are to "halt and reverse the decline in water quality entering the Reef by 2013, and to ensure that by 2020 the quality of water quality entering the Reef from adjacent catchments has no detrimental impact on the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef." (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.)

The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan works with individual land owners to make them aware of the effect of run-off on the environment, and by helping them "adopt land management practices that maximise reef water quality improvements." (Reef Plan Priority Areas) They also measure the effectiveness of the Reef Plan by monitoring and measuring the changes in the quality of water going into the reef. In 2009, the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan was updated with a "more concerted and accelerated approach by the governments." (Australian Government Department of Education, Water, Heritage and the Arts)


Photo Credit: Australian Government Lands and Coasts

Here is a link to the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan's progress reports.

This is an interesting video about how scientists use information they gather from the reef to measure the decline in the quality of water over the years: Research into Declining Water Quality

Chinese Coal Ship in the Reef

Last Saturday, April 3rd, a Chinese ship carrying 72,000 tons of coal ran aground into the Great Barrier Reef. The ship was traveling from Gladstone, Australia to China and took a shortcut. They were 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) off of their intended route. According to EuroNews, the ship is currently located off the coast of Great Keppel Island and is in danger of spilling 1,000 metric tons of oil into the Great Barrier Reef.


Photo Credit: Today Online

Although some oil has already leaked from the ship, Queensland authorities have started pumping oil out of the ship to prevent a major spill. Last Tuesday, Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, flew over the area where the ship crashed. According to the New York Times, Rudd says the people responsible could face three years in prison and a fine of $5 million. In an interview during his visit to Queensland, Rudd said "Where I sit, it is outrageous to find any vessel this far off course, it seems, in the Great Barrier Reef." (Breaking Travel News)

Larissa Waters, a member of the Australian Greens (or the Australian Green Party) offered a solution to prevent future accidents. "This sort of lack of monitoring is outrageous in the Great Barrier Reef. This is why we need marine pilots there shepherding these ships through the appropriate course on these reefs." (EuroNews)

According to Singapore's "Today Online," the owner of the Shen Neng 1, the Chinese coal ship, "admitted on Friday that the vessel was off course and apologised for the accident."


Photo Credit: LA Times

Although this disaster could pose many threats to the Great Barrier Reef, it is encouraging that everything possible is being done to prevent a major spill, and that people are offering solutions to prevent similar problems in the future.

Here is a link to a series of news updates about the Chinese ship in the Great Barrier Reef: Today News Australia

Conservation Groups

Organizations all over the world, and especially in Australia, are using different methods to address and bring attention to the threats facing the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is a branch of the Australian Government that has been around for over 30 years. Their main objective is to protect the Great Barrier Reef and to "ensure that the ecosystem's natural fuctions are maintained." More specifically, the Marine Park Authority aims to protect threatened species living in or around the reef. In an effort to protect the species, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority created a "network of marine sanctuaries that stretch from the Park's northernmost to southern boundaries. This is the world's largest network of marine sanctuaries and covers over a third of the Marine Park - protecting over 11 million hectares," according to WWF-Australia.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Australia) is an independent conservation group with branches in over 100 countries around the world. In Australia, some of the main focuses include climate change and marine life protection.


Photo Credit: Penang State Tourism

In 2007, WWF-Australia began a yearly hour-long event in Sydney, Australia called Earth Hour. For one hour on one night of the year, people all over the world joined together and turned off their lights to bring attention to global climate change. In just four years, Earth Hour has become a worldwide event, growing from 2.2 million participants the first year, to about one billion participants on March 27, 2010.

This is a picture of Sydney, Australia before and during Earth Hour:


Photo Credit: Tim Blair

Also in 2007, WWF Australia started the Save the Coral Sea Campaign, which encouraged the Australian Government to "declare the Coral Sea a Marine Protected Area." (WWF-Australia Coral Sea Protection.) According to WWF-Australia, the Coral Sea, located near the Great Barrier Reef, is "one of the world's last remaining pristine tropical marine environments."

WWF says that if the area is not protected from fishing and other harmful activities, many of the Coral Sea's species, including Reef Sharks, will be in danger. The campaign spread in just a short amount of time, and in three years some progress has been made. In May 2009, the Australian Government agreed to create a 1 million square kilometer (roughly 621,270 square miles) protection area in the Coral Sea.

This video talks about the danger the Coral Sea is in, and how quickly the news of the campaign spread: Save the Coral Sea Campaign - WWF


Photo Credit: CoolMelbourne.org

Greenpeace is another organization, with branches in countries all over the world, who is bringing attention to overfishing and climate change. With their "Defending our Pacific" campaign, Greenpeace is calling for the "protection of Pacific tuna through the establishment of marine reserves spanning the four pockets of international waters in the Pacific Ocean."

These conservation organizations are just a few examples of what groups in Australia and around the world are doing to bring attention to climate change and to protect the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding areas. With worldwide involvement in events like Earth Hour, it is encouraging to know that so many people are dedicated to conserving Earth's natural landmarks and resources.

If you're interested in figuring out your carbon footprint, check out WWF's Carbon Footprint Calculator


Photo Credit: GuestOfAGuest.com

Coral Bleaching

Global Warming is the average increase of temperatures across the globe. Although it is difficult to say when the current global warming began, the effects are becoming more and more prevalent. Over the next century, the global temperature is projected to continue to rise, and the effects will increase as well. Here is an article from National Geographic that discusses the major Effects of Global Warming.

Global warming is also one of the leading threats to the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs all over the world. The effect is called coral bleaching. I am still trying to understand all the details, but the Coral Reef Alliance gives a great description and describes the process of coral bleaching.

Coral bleaching "...occurs when coral polyps, stressed by heat or ultraviolet radiation, expel the algae that live within them. These algae, called zooxanthellae, normally provide the coral with up to 80% of its energy, making zooxanthellae essential for coral survival. The algae are also normally responsible for the color of coral, so when they are expelled, the color appears white or "bleached." There is a chance that bleached coral can recover if conditions return to normal quickly enough." Coral Reef Alliance Website.


Photo Credit: ABC News

If the ocean temperatures continue to rise, the algae will leave and the coral will die. There are simple things that everyone can do on a daily basis to prevent or slow down global warming, which could eventually stop coral bleaching.

-Be aware of the amount of electricity you use. When you leave a room, turn off the lights and any other appliances you are not using.

-Replace regular light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.

-Use only the amount of water you need. Make sure your washer is full before doing a load of laundry, and try to limit the amount of time you are in the shower.

-Walk, ride a bike or use public transportation when possible as an alternative to driving.

-Recycle in your home and buy recycled products.

-Use recyclable bags when going to the store as an alternative to plastic grocery bags.

-Only run your heater or air conditioner when it is necessary.

-Spread awareness! The more people who know, the better!

There are some great websites that give detailed lists of how to prevent global warming. Check them out! There are also some conservation groups in Australia and around the world who have started campaigns to decrease the effects of global warming, and ultimately the threats to the Great Barrier Reef. I will go into more detail about these groups in an upcoming post, but here is a video from one of these groups, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, talking about Coral Bleaching.

GBRMPA Coral Bleaching Video


Photo Credit: Whitsunday Boat Show

Overfishing in the Reef

As may be expected, some of the main threats to any ecosystem come from humans. More specifically, one of the main threats to the Great Barrier Reef today is overfishing. According to a University of Michigan website on Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef, “Overfishing of certain species near coral reefs can easily affect the reef's ecological balance and biodiversity.” When a species of fish is hunted, it can create an imbalance that has a negative effect on the reef. A decrease in a herbivore, or plant-eating species can cause an increase in algae on the coral. For example, the Surgeonfish feeds primarily on algae on coral in shallow waters.

Photo Credit: AustralianMuseum.net.au

The coral requires a certain amount of nutrients that only fish can provide in order to maintain the reef. “Since certain amounts of nutrients, oxygen and salt content the fishes in the coral reef ecosystem help maintain the balance needed by the corals, without these fishes the coral reef will collapse,” (Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef.) However, an imbalance of marine life is not the only negative effect that overfishing has on the Great Barrier Reef.

The initial fishing can also cause damage to the reef as well. The fishing boats create pollution that is harmful to the reef. The equipment that the fishers use, like nets, can also be harmful to the reef, especially if they become unattached from the boat and get tangled in the coral.

Bycatch is another problem affecting the Great Barrier Reef. Bycatch is the unwanted marine life caught by the fishing gear, and it is either kept and killed or thrown back into the water. Many times, if the animal gets thrown back, it hurts or kills the animal and, according to The Rhode Island Sea Grant, the unwanted fish, or discard, “does not become a part of the reproducing population. As a result, discard not only affects the current population, but influences the species’ opportunity to replenish itself.” Bycatch can consist of dolphins and different species of whales.

Photo Credit: habadive.com.au

According to Buzzle.com, about "1/3rd of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which prohibits fishing without proper documentation." The Australian government is trying to take action against overfishing in the Great Barrier Reef, but the reef covers such a large area, it is hard to monitor. People need to realize that the reef is unlike anything else in the world, and little things we do, like fishing, add up and cause tremendous damages.

Photo Credit: University of Michigan - Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef