Coral reefs are underwater cities bursting with color and all different species of fish and coral. I compare coral reefs to cities because each fish and other marine animals have their role, similar to how each person in a town has a job.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the earth, the largest of these bustling coral reefs is in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef stretches one-thousand-four hundred twenty-nine miles long, housing over three-thousand different types of coral. With around one thousand three hundred species, The Great Barrier Reef is a common tourist location, with over two million people visiting each year!
The reef’s biggest threat is climate change. Rising temperatures are caused by increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Some other threats are rising water temperatures, poorer water quality from sediment run-off, and pollution.
What can you do to help recover Barrier Reefs? Primarily, you can recycle and dispose of trash properly. Plastic and other waste can harm marine animals, including bottle caps, food wrappers, and plastic straws. Next, if you go snorkeling or swimming in the ocean, try to take a reef-friendly approach to sun protection. Some sunscreens include ingredients that can harm corals, producing less coral and less food for marine animals. You can also minimize the use of fertilizers! Fertilizers contain harmful chemicals that can kill corals, and fertilizers on lawns will eventually be washed away into the ocean. Finally, you can spread the word! Awareness of the threats to coral reefs and methods to protect coral reefs is essential.