Hello my fellow WhyReefians!
Many of you have seen that the North Reef is sick, and have been taking action to Save the Reef. Keep up the good work! Coral reefs are places where many unique and beautiful plants and animals live. But you may be thinking, "What do coral reefs have to do with me and why should I bother saving them?" It may not seem like it, but they are important to us humans.
Coral reefs provide us with food, and are a major part of the tourism industry. At least half a billion people around the world are somewhat dependent on coral reefs! For example, the Philippines (a country in Southeast Asia) have over 10,000 square miles of coral reefs, and earn at least $1.35 billion a year from fisheries, tourism, and costal protection. Without coral reefs many people would have no way to support themselves.
Coral reefs can also protect people from natural disasters. The Asian Tsunami in 2004 killed more than 200,000 people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. However, areas with healthy coral reefs were less impacted than those with unhealthy reefs. Dr. Ian Dutton, Director of Conservation Measures at The Nature Conservancy, found that some areas with healthy coral reefs were less damaged. The healthy reefs acted as natural barriers that protected these areas against large waves and flooding.
Even if you don't live anywhere near the ocean or a coral reef, reefs can still impact you. Many different medicines and treatments have been discovered from coral reefs. Biochemist Jerry Pelletier of McGill University discovered that a type of yellow coral (called Isis hippuris) could be used to treat human disease! This coral has been found to stop viruses spreading in the body. In tests it has successfully slowed the spread of the poliovirus. Scientists also think it can be used as a treatment against cancer. If we loose coral reefs who knows what cures we may never find!
We are not alone on the Earth; we are a part of the Earth's ecosystem just like all other living things. We are in a large web of life, and when one part of that web is affected the entire web is affected. We are not only saving a beautiful and unique ecosystem, we are also saving ourselves!
Author's Note: Sources:
BBC On This Day. (2005). 2004: Thousands die in Asian tsunami. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/26/newsid_4631000/4631713.stm
Biello, David. (2006, March 13). Compound from Coral Could Combat Cancer. Scientific American.com. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=compound-from-coral-could.
Edwards, A.J., Gomez, E.D. (2007). Reef Restoration Concepts and Guidelines making sensible management choices in the face of uncertainty. Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Mangement Programme: St. Lucia, Austraila. Iv + 38 pp.
Foerstel, Karen. (2005). Tsunami Leaves Behind Human Devastation and Environmental Damage that May Take Decades to Recover. The Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press1726.html.
