Coral reefs: “Rainforests of the sea”

         

           Often called “rainforests of the sea”, because according to many, it form some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. It is most valuable marine habitats for over 100 countries around the world. It is the most beautiful of all aquatic ecosystems and it contains the largest variety of species of marine life in a very tiny area. Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. For the fact that they occupy less than one percent of the world’s ocean surface, yet they provide home foe twenty- five percent of all marine species.

          Many says that coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on earth. It is not just only biologically rich and a source of beauty but they also provide many services to the communities. What happen if the coral reefs are degraded, destroyed or bleached? Do you think those services will be impacted? Off course it will not! Therefore, communicating all of those effects and the general importance of coral reefs should be part of any management strategy.

          

       We can conclude that coral reefs are a “biologically diverse” because as we see there are many different kinds of animals and plants that live there. Coral reefs are “biologically productive”, which means there are lots of each thing that grows there.

       

        Reefs are very stable, and provide protective barriers around many islands and coasts. Without the reefs, these islands of ours and coasts will erode away into the ocean. Some people may not know how important the coral reefs are. It is very important for us to know that coral reefs play an important role in protecting the shoreline from storms and surge water. It protects nearby shorelines from eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coast of dwellings, agricultural land and beaches.

        

        Many of us have been used the coral reefs in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, and other ailments. Do all of us helps in protecting the coral reefs? I don’t think so. There are some human activities such as trampling, destructive fishing techniques (poison, dynamite) and anchoring can physically destroy or kill the coral, resulting in reef death. Most countries are now slowly killing their reefs in order to gain short term financial profit from them.

       

       Thousands of divers can tell us that coral reefs are beautiful. According to them, they also like undersea cities, filled with colorful fish, intricate formations and wondrous sea creatures. As for me, I must protect the coral reefs. We must protect the coral reefs!!... For the reason, that coral reefs are the foundation of many tropical ecosystems and provide livelihood, food, enjoyment and cultural significance for millions of people around the world!!!..

Mangroves: “A renewable resource”

     Coastlines throughout the world are facing serious problems of coastal erosion and threats of rising sea levels due to global warming have increased the threats by several folds. To control such assault of the sea on land the nature has provided what is called “mangroves”. Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow on saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics. It is the buffers between the land and sea.

       People must know that mangroves also help us a lot. Mangroves help us protecting the coastlines and the coastal communities from waves, tidal currents and typhoons. Mangroves serves as our nursery of the sea because it provide nourishment, habitat and refuge to the larvae and fry stages of varied species, crustaceans and mollusks whose grown up replenish and coastal waters and the deep marine ecosystem.

       Mangroves also serve as the shelter for wildlife. It serve as roosting and foraging grounds for local and migratory wildlife species, especially birds. The best thing about the mangroves is it serves as a “renewable resource”. In other parts of the world, people have utilized mangrove trees as a renewable resource. They use mangroves in building houses, boats, pilings and furniture.

        Even if we negate all benefits of mangroves as forests, their value as “protector shore-line” is to convince us for conserving them. Because of the uniqueness of mangrove ecosystems and the protection against erosion they provide, they are often the object   of conservation programs, including national biodiversity action plans.

        Mangroves are now looked after by scientists as saviors in the today’s scenario of global warming. We all know that most of the coastal areas throughout the world are going to be affected by sea level rise due to global warming. Therefore, when most of the coastal areas will be flooded, mangroves can possibly provide a gene bank for cultivating salt tolerant species of crops which could be our future resource.