The world’s coral reef: rising or declining?

Our planet is plunging into an abysmal state. It is evident in the environmental revelations made every day, each catastrophe another crater in the seemingly irreparable disaster we have caused. However, the recent discovery of a 500m-high coral reef suggests there is hope that some of the natural world will be recoverable.

“Higher than the Empire State Building”, this coral reef, located in the Great Barrier Reef, reaches heights of only 40 meters below the surface of the ocean, its base is a vast expanse of 1.5 km of living organisms. Scientists from James Cook University in Australia have discovered the reef as part of a project run by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, a “non-profit private operational foundation created to advance oceanographic research.” Aboard the Falkor ship, the team was studying the northern floor of the Great Barrier Reef when the immense coral was found, now known to be connected to seven surrounding corals, including “ the most important nesting area for green sea turtles. of the world ” in Raine Island Reef.

Last year, Falkor made several amazing discoveries, including “coral gardens and cemeteries” in Brener Canyon National Park. These cold waters are “rich and diverse ecosystems” filled with the same coral species as that which lives on the Antarctic shelf of the Ross Sea. Studying these waters is critical to understanding “climate change and ocean conditions in this region”, as well as helping the local community understand how and why coral reefs need protection.

Slaughtered by rising sea temperatures, protecting coral reefs is a matter of urgent concern for climate change activists everywhere. In addition to low tide, water pollution and excessive exposure to light, warm temperatures force the algae living in corals to leave, depriving them of their main food supply. Although some corals may recover, many die; our ocean floor is a graveyard of bleached skeletons.

To bring back what has been lost, action must be taken now. Adopt A Coral is doing just that. They work[s] with nonprofit organizations in pressurized marine environments around the world to support their vital reef restoration programs. “For example, Adopt A Coral works together with coral growers to grow and propagate corals in shallow water. The adopted corals are” planted on artificial reefs by local fishermen who adopt ecological biodiversity protection. “Just like the programs of conservation. Adopt A Coral’s animals, Adopt A Coral will send coral photographs and certificates of an individual living in its “coral reef forever”.

As irreparable as our current disaster may seem, there is hope that we can slowly fill the craters carved in the natural world with our own hands. By giving free rein to nature, miracles such as the 500m coral giant can occur, which together with the help of dedicated environmental advocates, can mean that nature can recover. One day, we may have our thriving oceans back.

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