Hello, I am Emalee3 and we need to save the Southern Reef.
The sea life in the Southern Reef is being demolished by overfishing for food and aquariums, coral bleaching, too many nutrients in the water, soil erosion in the sea - which causes the reef to become buried in sand - and irresponsible tourists.
Overfishing for food is becoming a big problem for the sea life. Especially for the larger fish like the Green Humphead Parrotfish and the White-Tip Reef Shark. It's also a problem for the Acropora Coral. The White-Tip Reef Shark is most at risk because that species is already low and because of this it will become nonexistent. The Green Humphead Parrotfish will go from having a medium population to a low one. Also, the Acropora Coral will gradually go from having a high population to a low one. We do not want this to happen to our sea life. Another overfishing problem is that people fish for aquariums.
Overfishing for the aquariums is a serious problem for all fish and the Acropora Coral. You see, aquariums pay a lot of money for unique and colorful sea life. Even though some sea life may increase, (The Long-Spine Sea Urchin and the Turf Algae, for example), most sea life will decrease, some to nonexistence. The Acropora Coral, for example, will decrease from a high population to a low one, just like in the previous paragraph. The Neon Damselfish will go from a medium population to one that is extinct. The Green Humphead Parrotfish's population will decrease by half! Don't even get me started on the carnivorous Oval Butterflyfish, nonexistent after overfishing. Finally, the White-Tip Reef Shark, over a period of time, will go extinct as well. Do you see why we need to stop?
Another problem for the reef is coral bleaching. Water temperatures near the reef have increased by about two degrees Celsius, making the coral "stressed". When coral is stressed, it spits out a chemical called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae is a chemical that gives the coral its color and most of its food, so the result is hunger and a bleached complexion. The coral then starts to die from starvation. The Acropora Coral, the Oval Butterflyfish, and the White-Tip Reef Shark are at risk. If the bleached coral problem still takes place, this sea life will go to low or nonexistent. Because of this, some sea life will be overpopulated. Everything will be unbalanced!
Yes, there are still more problems with the reef. Too many nutrients are in the reef because of chemical-induced fertilizer mixing with water from the crops from farms and are flowing into the reef. Of the sea creatures at the reef, the Acropora Coral, the Oval Butterflyfish, and the White- Tip Reef Shark are decreasing. By at least half, if not low or nonexistent. It just goes to show you what chemicals can do to life.
An important problem for sea life is what we call "buried reef". You see, people that live on the beach cut down the trees in the area. Now, nothing can stop runoff and erosion. Soil and sand are piling up on the reef, and the coral can't keep up with it, so it is getting buried. This effects the Acropora Coral and all fish in the reef. The coral becomes extinct. and the fish decrease by at least half. Plus, the trees are being cut down! It's like a lose - lose situation!
The last major problem with the reef is tourists. I know, how can people ruin the reef? They love it, right? I'm sure they do, but what they're doing is harming the coral and bigger fish of the reef. They're hurting the coral by stepping on it as they walk, and they're bumping into it. They are also picking up snail shells and other creatures to take home. Because of this, the Acropora Coral is at a low population, the Green Humphead Parrotfish decreases by half, and the White-Tip Reef Shark goes extinct.
In conclusion, please don't be irresponsible, and try to help prevent these things. Then, if you do that, everything will be balanced and we can enjoy the peaceful cycle of the reef, identify fish, and have a fun time with all sorts of sea life.
