Coral Reefs Extinction Could End Marine Life In 30 Years

Most of the people know corals as fancy rock or plant, however, corals are invertebrate animals. It’s a colony formed by the combination of tiny creatures called as polyps which can only seen by microscope. There are two main types of coral which are hard and soft. Coral reefs are massive underwater structures composed of the skeletons of hard coral.

Everyone knows them with their magnificent appearance. Besides their appearance, their effects are crucial for both marine and human life.

Coral reef

Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor. It might seems insignificant if we think it as a percentage but don’t underestimate it because it’s equal an area of about 285,000 square km. Coral reefs are critical marine habitat on which many ocean species depend. Despite the fact that it takes up 1 percent of the ocean, estimated 4,000 fish species, and 25 percent of marine life depend on coral reefs at some point in their life for food, shelter, and breeding.

Coral Reef

%80 of the oxygen we are breathing in right now comes from the oceans, not from the land. So, to sustain to breathe, we should protect oceans from anything that endangers marine life.

According to The World Wildlife Fund, about one billion people have dependence on coral reefs for their livelihood through food, fisheries and tourism. Coral reefs also protect coastlines and islanders from powerful waves, flooding, and prevent coastal erosion.

Although they are so important for our lives, they are in danger of extinction by 2050 because of the human race.

There are many causes of coral death and human activities are responsible for all of them; Firstly, overfishing has ruined the food chains, this led to algae and parasites to invade corals. On the other hand, boats have damaged or destroyed reefs by scraping off the seafloor. In addition, the pollution of the oceans has caused these creatures to become ill and killed them over time.

Coral Reef

But most important reason is the burning of fossil fuels. Everyone knows that fossil fuels have warmed our planet and we already have started to see serious effects of it in almost every habitat. And earth’s oceans have absorbed the majority of that heat. As the waters get warmer, corals lose the components that give them color and help them produce food. This situation makes them vulnerable to algae and diseases. This process called as bleaching and finally end up with their death. The bleaching have already caused the death of most of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef, which is known as the largest living structure in the world.

A healthy coral reef

With a positive approach, scientists think we can manage to preserve most coral reefs if we can stabilize the climate change soon.

If climate change can not stabilized soon, the disappearance of coral reefs from our planet can lead to a domino effect of mass destruction on marine life. It’s not just about the extinction of a single species or habitat, it can also lead to serious disruptions in the food chain across the globe.

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References;

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/earth-s-coral-reefs-could-be-gone-2100-research-finds-n1138151

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2020/02/24/70-90-percent-of-coral-reefs-will-disappear-over-the-next-20-years-scientists-say/?sh=1b63b5e27d87