First of all, how many of you have played WhyReef?
WhyReef is one of my favorite games on Whyville. Like all Whyville games it is educational, fun, and engaging. What's more, it centers around one of Whyville's most beautiful natural features - the Coral Reef.
But lately, it seems a great danger has befallen our beloved North Reef. While the corals are bleached, the populations of producers such as sea grass and turf algae have skyrocketed. And while the population of sea urchins, the natural consumers of turf algae, is increasing at an alarming rate, higher carnivore populations have taken a turn for the worse.
After careful consideration, I have deduced that the driving cause of this mess is due to coral bleaching.
This can occur any number of ways, but the most likely way it can occur is an increase in temperature. Therefore, it seems likely that the catastrophe occurring in the North Reef may be due to global warming.
I encourage everyone to contribute to the Save the Reef effort. Donating clams, putting together a management plan, and creating awareness-raising face parts are all, in my opinion, some of the very best short-ways to protect this beautiful and fragile ecosystem. Keep in mind that if the coral reef is lost, we'll suffer too. Fisheries will lose profits, food sources will be depleted, and the world ecosystem will suffer.
But remember, the heart of the problem is global warming. Long-term, Save the Reef can only help so much. The best way to service the reef is a balance between Save the Reef and other greenhouse gas-reducing activities like reducing your Whyville carbon footprint.
I wholeheartedly urge you to throw yourself into the effort of saving this beautiful underwater world!
