The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is a non-profit, environmental NGO that is on a mission to save the world’s coral reefs. The difference is that a few generations ago, my grandparents didn’t know what they were doing to the planet. Despite notable successes at the local level, we still have a gap to make significant impacts at the ecosystem level. Since Peter discovered how the reef can be protected through land-based maintenance, other islands in the area have followed suit. Emirates fly from Heathrow to Brisbane Airport in Queensland, with a stopover in Dubai, from £700 per person. It was reports of coral bleaching that brought Natalie back to Australia six years ago, after living in Spain. Corals can recover, but the process stresses and may kill them. Back on shore, I listen to presentations on wildlife and conservation by the resort’s resident marine biologists and, come nightfall, enjoy a spot of stargazing in a sky free of light pollution. Author: NOAA “We’re lucky here in the south because the coral is protected,” says Peter Gash. We all have to take action.”. Earthy shades are interspersed with muted blues, reds and yellows. “Then there’s the mining, tourism, bad weather. It’s an expectation. 10 ways to protect CORAL REEFS. New research found that even if humans succeed in protecting reefs from pollution and overfishing, global warming will still pose a … Algae provide corals’ color, so the reefs turn white. The coral here at Lady Musgrave started to bleach at the tips in August 2018. The tide comes in, and takes it into the sand, which washes over the reef to give it nutrients.”, It used to be worse here in the southern part of the reef, I’m told, but education and awareness have saved the reef from teetering on the edge of death. When Professor Peter Harrison, a reef researcher and marine ecologist at Southern Cross University, used these labs for his study into coral rehabilitation in 2016, he found that a rise in sea temperature of 4C would kill off the algae that keep the coral alive. We’ve known for 30 years that climate change leads to the death of entire coral reef ecosystems, and yet we’ve done almost nothing to save them. Signs are dotted across the island, encouraging visitors to be mindful of the footprint they leave and to report anything that might impact negatively on the reef and wildlife. Coral around the world has been dying at unprecedented rates, largely the result of warming ocean waters due to climate change. Coastal development can harm corals by increasing sediment, pollution and nutrient runoff. The next weighty punch came in the 1950s, when tourism was introduced. Today, under the watchful eye of Peter, the island has become a conservation eco-centre, gently reverting back to an island where nature rules. How You Can Help We all have a role in protecting coral reefs We are not doomed to lose all corals to bleaching, but we need to act now if we want to protect coral for future generations. Professor Peter Harrison and a team at Southern Cross University have successfully trialled larval re-seeding (that is harvesting coral eggs and sperm during the coral spawn season, growing the coral larvae in laboratory tanks, and then re-seeding it on reefs in the Philippines and on the Great Barrier Reef to re-establish breeding populations. MPAs can be set up by the government, but in many places, traditional and local leaders have established their own community management areas which they also monitor and enforce. The question is not if we can save the coral reefs, but if we choose to. Volunteer in local beach or reef cleanups. Reduce your carbon footprint "Climate change is the greatest threat to coral reef ecosystems," according to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. Mitigating climate change is the only long-term, sustainable solution to conserve and restore coral reefs. Peter is managing director at Lady Elliot Island, the eco resort I’m launching into the ocean from. Coral reefs serve a lot of important functi… Not only do other animals rely on coral reefs for food and shelter, humans also rely on coral reefs because they are nurseries and homes for hundreds of fish species that we harvest. Plastic pollution is one of the issues Natalie finds herself talking about more and more these days. Excess nutrients from sources like farming or wastewater can cause algae blooms, which smother reefs. When the bird poop lands on the ground and the water falls on top, it soaks down into the aquifer. The recent years of conservation have seen the turtles return to lay their eggs. Often, the best way to conserve a coral reef is by establishing a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Nearly three million people visit the reef each year, although tourism isn’t the main issue at the moment. The same panic that hit me on my first dive starts to bubble up inside me as I sink down further into a world that isn’t mine. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually find their ways back into the ocean. Don't LitterHumans are filthy creatures who treat our planet and oceans like a trash can. And much like Lady Elliott, nature is returning to reclaim its home here: loggerhead turtles use the island for nesting, large brown boobies roost on the shipwreck, while brain coral has stemmed from the anchors and chains that scar the seabed. For example, scientific research has demonstrated that reefs need a precautionary threshold of roughly 30 percent live coral cover to secure growth, and at … Threatened reefs can be protected by eradicating destructive rats on tropical islands, scientists say. Corals themselves are living creatures — tiny marine invertebrates that group together to form colonies. After dinner, Peter takes me on a tour around the island. If possible, get … Better yet, … I head to Lady Musgrave, an uninhabited coral cay popular with nesting turtles. Last updated: 11/05/20 Water from the ocean is desalinated to reduce the amount of drinking water being imported in plastic bottles, energy comes from solar power, and waste is composted in a pit system to support the growth of more foliage. It has around 900 islands, more than 2,900 individual reefs, and provides a home for in excess of 1,500 species of fish. Eliminating footprints A resilient coral reef is one that can either resist a large-scale stressful event or recover from it. Corals are already a gift, don't give them as presents. The idea is simple. My days as a guest at Heron Island are filled with sunrise snorkels around a shipwreck accompanied by rays, sharks and turtles. The efforts to save coral reefs cannot be ultimately successful, and they won’t be restored to their potential until the environment becomes more hospitable to their survival. It’s the southernmost island on the reef, and the gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. It’s a feeling I surrender to, giving space for it to grow. It’s really a death by a thousand cuts. Acidification, which occurs as seawater absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, reduces the amount of carbonate available for corals to build their skeletons, so reefs grow more slowly and become weaker. I wonder aloud whether the droves of tourist boats that come here on an almost daily basis are adding to the problem. Published in the May 2019 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK), Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Flipboard, SubscribePrivacy Policy(UPDATED)Terms of ServiceCookie PolicyPolicies & ProceduresContact InformationWhere to WatchConsent ManagementCookie Settings. Some ingredients in sunscreen can be harmful to or even kill corals. And it’ll run with it.”, Do your research: It’s important to go with a responsible tour operator — check their credentials and that they’re committed to conservation, Watch your fins: When snorkelling or diving on the reef, be mindful of kicking too much as fins can damage coral, Choose an eco-friendly sunscreen: A lot of sunscreens include harmful chemicals that can damage coral. Once the coral is affected by climate change and a cyclone comes in, it’s screwed.”. Algae provide corals’ color, so the reefs turn white. Like many other snorkelling and diving spots on the Capricorn Coast, coral health charts are widespread, and visitors are asked to monitor and log coral colours. Tourism is still rife today with the island doubling up as a resort, only now, it’s an eco-friendly one. People come here and think that, because the coral’s not as bright as it is on documentaries, it’s dead. The results? A Plan to Save Coral Reefs Saving and restoring the world's coral reefs requires a multi-pronged approach that ranges from the local to the global level. I dive once more off Lady Musgrave’s shores before it’s time to check out the neighbouring carbon-positive Pumpkin Island — a privately owned island that runs as an eco-retreat and, quite remarkably, manages to offset 150% of its annual carbon emissions. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, with the last thing Peter Gash said to me ringing through my head: “Each and every one of us has been responsible for this, but we’re all here now because we care. “We put the forest in for the forest’s sake,” he explains from the driving seat of a buggy as we bounce over the island’s somewhat basic roads. Keep flying to a minimum: aim for no more than THREE return air-tickets in a year and offset all … When coral is put under stress, it expels the algae that lives in its tissues and feeds it with nutrients, causing the coral to turn completely white. Scientists globally are involved in much research into how we can achieve this. Reefs also provide valuable ecotourism opportunities, buffer the intensity of hurricanes and typhoons before they reach the shoreline and provide hundreds of billions of dollars annually to the global economy. A coral cay formed entirely by sedimentary debris, the island appeared above sea level some 3,500 years ago. 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