Disappearing Coral Reefs

Amanda Dybal
Staff Writer

         Coral reefs are a huge attraction to many. The beautiful under the sea attractions are located all over the earth and are homes to many creatures. The massive ecosystems are slowly being destroyed by the constant over fishing that is effecting the sustainability of the environment. Blast fishing also destroys the reefs. Blast fishing is when you explosives to stun or kill many fish at once. This illegal act not only kills the fish, but it kills the reefs around them. Water pollution is also killing many of the reefs. Oil spills, fertilizers, human and animal waste harm the reef when they get in the water. These pollinations can change the chemical makeup of the water as well as block sunlight from all of the coral. 

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         The corals are starting to turn white and die. Humans are burning many fossil fuels and heating up the air, causing the ocean to store much of the heat. The heat is killing many species. "This year, amid record heat, 93% of the Great Barrier Reef experienced bleaching, the term used to describe sick coral that eject the bright-colored algae that live on them," John D. Shutter from CNN explains. The CO2 in the atmosphere from the fossil fuels are also killing the coral by making the waters more acidic. These reefs then suffocate and die. “And it doesn't help that US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to scrap the Paris Agreement, which aims to get the world to ditch fossil fuels and limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius,” Shutter says.  The Paris Agreement deals with the greenhouse gas emissions; the aim is to reinforce the global response to the danger of climate change.  Some are calling this a mass extinction, and we may not know for sure. What we do know is that the reefs are dying, and we need to find a way to stop this.