Coral reef protection calls for worldwide effort. Often called the rainforests of the ocean, coral reefs are home to one-fourth of all ocean life. -20 May 2008 | |
Coral reef protection calls for worldwide effort. Often called the rainforests of the ocean, coral reefs are home to one-fourth of all ocean life. Charles Delbeek, Aquarist, Waikiki Aquarium Hawaii: I think that the major impacts are going to be on land erosion with loss of reefs, loss of species diversity. VOICE: The Hawaiian coral are being studied locally by researchers of the Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu. They’ve found that aside from sustaining entire marine ecosystems, coral reefs buffer islands from the effect of tsunamis. Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Director of Waikiki Aquarium: The reefs surround the islands and they act as a natural buffer against storms, against typhoons, etc. Otherwise large waves would be consistently hitting the islands and causing massive erosion. So the survival of many islands depends on the coral reef. VOICE: Coral are actually living animals that are vulnerable to the changes in the ocean environment. In addition to warming temperatures, deforestation is causing harmful sediment to deposit, while overfishing also takes its toll on the reefs. Increasingly, biologists find that much of the impact on coral reefs come from far away. Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Director of Waikiki Aquarium: It is very, very important to realize that although we are talking about Hawaii's reefs, the impact of pollution that takes place way, way up stream, far away from the reefs, is also important because whatever goes into the rivers ends up in the sea. Whatever you pour on your garden in terms of pesticides, etc, that goes in the storm drain and the sewers and it ends up in the sea. So it's a worldwide problem. VOICE: It's good to know that we can all contribute to protecting the coral reefs by being more eco-conscious in our life. We thank, Dr. Rossiter, Mr. Delbeek, and all scientists, who are studying the amazing coral reefs, a crucial part of our planet's sustainability. May the precious corals of our Earth be preserved so that their wonders can be appreciated for a long time to come. For more information, please visit www.waquarium.org
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