Wonders of a Reef
There is a feeling you get when you dive in to the ocean. The beauty is amazing. Realizing you are only a small spec in your surroundings is life changing. I have been blessed with many opportunities over the years to experience the wonder of ocean creatures. Scuba diving among those creatures is especially rewarding.
The preferred destination of divers usually involves coral reefs. That is because among the reefs is where you see the greatest diversity of life in the ocean. The colors of the fish and coral, the wonder of shimmering schools of fish, hiding eels and lobsters, tiny shrimp and gentle swaying of fan corals in the current never cease to amaze the diver.
Unfortunately coral reefs are in critical danger. Climate change is causing the Earth to become warmer and the oceans are storing that heat. In the last 3 years, repeated heat stress has caused one third of the world’s corals to bleach and then die.
It is very hard for most people who look at the ocean from a lounger on the beach to realize what is happening within that beautiful body of water. But science tells us exactly what is happening and we need to wake up and listen.
Climate change is directly related to the use of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide in the air which acts as a blanket keeping heat within our atmosphere. Increased heat means there is more moisture in the air which leads to increased frequency of extreme weather patterns from floods to drought, to hurricanes to wildfires and the bleaching of coral.
There are numerous consequences of climate change and the death of the ocean corals is just one. But it affects an entire ecosystem and threatens livelihoods of people who rely on fishing for food.
What can we do to reduce climate change? Awareness and education is critical. But beyond that we can add our voice to others by joining an organization that fights climate change.
The following organizations are a few of my suggestions: World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, Rainforest Alliance, Amazon Watch and Coral Reef Alliance. Please consider joining one or all of them.
Lastly, here in the United States we can not forget our loudest voice and that is our vote. Please consider voting for candidates that listen to science and support strong reductions in the use of fossil fuels.
