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Why is so much of the world's coral dying?

2023-02-10 16:22:26

In the past three years, one fifth of the world's coral reefs died. Some experts believe that the number of corals in the ocean is only half as much as 40 years ago. Since 2015, one-third of coral reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef have lost more than a third. Corals are animals, not rocks or plants. These are made up of thousands of small invertebrates called polyps, which range from a few millimeters to several centimeters. Because that coral reef supports the entire marine ecosystem, its decline is a big problem. What on earth is going on?

Garbage is a problem. Shards block the sun and sharp debris can cut coral tissue. Plastic waste often collects and spreads harmful bacteria. According to a study published in the January issue of Science magazine, nine out of ten corals contain plastics showing signs of illness. Mud that smothers corals from the coastline. Overfishing is another problem as removing fish from the food chain can spread large meat algae. And it grows and extrudes coral. These algae will thrive with the nutrients contained in the drainage water of sewage and agricultural land. These pollutants also kill coral larvae while swimming and bring bacteria to find permanent villages.

However, the biggest cause of coral reef reduction is water temperature rise. Heat seems to make it more vulnerable to viruses. More importantly, global warming can disrupt the symbiotic relationship between coral and its main food, microalgae present inside and inside the organization. In warm water, microalgae overproduce sugar and toxins. This will cause the coral to vomit. However, since polyps need these microalgae to survive, they will be white without them, a process called bleaching. Then they will die soon. Furthermore, if carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, the acidity of the sea water also increases, so it becomes difficult for coral to generate calcium carbonate necessary for its skeleton structure.

Coral reefs restrict coastline erosion, reduce the destructive power of storms, provide food and shelter to marine life, and provide food for millions of people. Therefore complete collapse of coral reef ecosystem will be very serious. Various solutions have been proposed. One is to cool coral reefs using large floating shades. Another suggestion is to draw cooler water from the depth of the nearby ocean. Many laboratories are beginning to selectively propagate corals to produce harder varieties. Others are trying to use genetic engineering for the same purpose. Some experts are worried that this kind of interference, corals produced by heat resistance may have other problems such as viral susceptibility. However, the opposite of this breeding has declined. Coral needs all the help it can get

Corals are on the verge of extinction all over the world. The reason is complicated, but as the sea keeps warming, the number of dead is accelerating. In warm water, corals are "sticking out" from small symbiotic algae called animal brown algae who are stressed, usually in coral tissues and produce life energy for the host. Zooxanthellae gives corals vivid colors, so when they are removed it is equivalent to losing chlorophyll: the lower color is shining. In the case of coral, this color is white. This is called coral bleaching.

Coral reefs are dying around the world. In particular, spills, pollution, overfishing, explosive catch, disease, invasive species, human abuse, coral mining, canal excavation and access to islands and bays are regional threats to coral ecosystems. The broader threats are sea temperature rise, sea level rise, and ocean acidification. All of these are related to greenhouse gas emissions. Other threats include the role of the ocean as a source of carbon dioxide absorption, atmospheric changes, ultraviolet light, ocean acidification, viruses, sandstorms carrying substances to distant reefs, and algae growth I will.

The sea of ​​our world is in serious trouble. Marine life is drastically decreasing. Temperature and acidity are rising. Coral reefs are dying. A great deal of plastic waste is being shed into the sea, and experts estimate that it may exceed all saltwater fish in decades. As a result, this week, the world's top diplomats and marine scientists gathered at the State Council's Annual Ocean Conference and the challenge of restoring marine health was not an urgent task. Paul Allen is not unfamiliar with this difficult problem, and he works hard to improve the health of the ocean for future generations. Regardless of whether it supports researchers' efforts to address ocean acidification, deepen understanding of the actual catch of the world, or to collect basic data on the reduction in the number of sharks, it is scalable and sustainable We focus on data and innovation to develop solutions. scheme