5 Easy Ways to Protect the Coral Reefs
As divers, it is our hope that everyone appreciates the importance of the coral reefs around the world. Scuba divers – as it so happens – are in the dual position of being people who best protect or further damage the coral reefs of the world. In this post, we’ll attempt to explain why the reefs are so important and what divers and non-divers can do to protect this precious part of the ecosystem.
Why the Reefs are Important
Perhaps the nonchalant manner in which some people view the reefs comes from a lack of understanding of what they are and why they are so important to marine life and ultimately to human beings too. First of all, coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of coral, which are marine invertebrate animals. They are important for any number of reasons. First, they protect coastlines from damaging wave actions such as tropical storms, tsunamis, etc. Next, they provide habitat and shelter for many marine organisms. Finally, the reefs assist in carbon and nitrogen fixing.
Ways to Protect the Reefs
- Learn and educate: Read as much as you can about the reefs so that you can educate others on what they are, why they are important to our ecosystem and how they can be protected.
- Plant a coral: The Nature Conservancy has an initial that actually lets people plant coral reefs themselves inthe Caribbean, Mexico, and Micronesia.
- Visit a reef and dive responsibly: The best way to truly appreciate the beauty and awe of the coral reels is to view them up close. You can view Hawaii’s coral reef ecosystem on one of our Maui guided scuba tours. Moreover, scuba diving lessons in Maui will instruct you on how to view precious marine life without touching and damaging it.
- Contact your representatives: Make sure that your local representative supports efforts to protect the reefs such as recycling, education, pollution reduction, etc.
- Make your lawn care green: Even someone who lives miles from a body of water may end up affecting the coral reefs. Fertilizer and other lawn care products eventually end up in our waterways and can damage the coral reefs.
The conservation of biodiversity is a fundamental issue facing humankind. The challenge is how you, as a diver, can help protect our environment by nurturing the health of the coral reefs.
