Use a hat, shirt, and umbrella and reduce your use of sun screen to help save the coral reefs of the world AND reduce you risk of skin cancer!!!
Coral Reefs are “the Rainforests of the Sea”. They are the natural habitat to thousands of plant and animal species and they are critical to the health of our planet. Coral reefs are threatened around the world due to environmental changes and pollution caused by people.
Many people think that there is nothing that they can directly do to save coral reefs. That is NOT TRUE. While it may be beyond your personal control to reduce the negative environmental impacts of marine debris, over-fishing, run-off pollution, reckless diving and snorkeling habits that can harm the coral reefs of the worlds; there are some simple things that you can do to help save coral reefs and reduce your risk of skin cancer.
There are many different types or coral reefs which include Fringing reefs. They are reefs that form along a coastline and grow on the continental shelf in shallow waters. Barrier reefs grow parallel to shorelines, but farther out and are typically separated from land by deep water. Coral Atolls are rings of coral that grow atop sunken volcanoes in the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of North East Australia is over 1,257 miles long and is the largest in the world. Hawaii also has some amazing coral reefs as do the Cayman Islands.
It has been estimated by some experts that global warming can be a threat to the health of our reefs as well. If the water were to rise by just 2 degrees it could lead to the phenomenon known as coal bleaching, in which the coral die and turn white. This has been observed off the coast of Florida. Another aspect of global warming is the rise in sea levels near the shore, leading to more powerful wave action, and stronger currents which can bring potentially dangerous pollutants farther out into the ocean thereby damaging more coral. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have indicated that Hawaii may already be experiencing some erosion due to coral damage along the south shore of Moloka’i.
If you love to walk on white sand beaches, and you want your children and grandchildren to enjoy this, you must help to protect the coral reefs of the world!
If you are out in a boat, do not dump waste into the water as this will harm the local ecology.
Do not wear organic based sun screens, and preferably, do not wear any sun screens when you swim. Wear a T shirt and limit you exposure to the sun and help prevent washing your sun tan lotion into the lakes and oceans of the world. Consider wearing UV protection beach clothing that allows you to swim without getting a sunburn and which reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Use fewer household chemicals and reduce the use of chemicals on your lawn or garden.
Don’t litter or throw cigarette butts on the beach. What’s on the beach will eventually go into lakes and oceans and may be eaten by the fish causing them harm.
Do your part … it’s easy to make a real difference …
