Help Save The Reefs!!!

~END~

2008-09-02T23:28:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone reading this blog, we have come to the it[the blog].Well not really the end as we still wish to continue going on with this blog.However, the exams are coming and we really have to study.The Primary 5 End of year exams are very important to us as we can use it for our DIRECT SCHOOL ADMISSION(DSA).And anyway tomorrow we would have to 'hand up' this blog to our teacher.So, maybe we would continue with this blog after our exams during the school holiday.Anyway, thank you for reading this blog and remember, HELP DO YOUR PART TO SAVE THE CORAL REEFS TODAY.(Please help to spread this blog to your family and friends so that they can also do their part to save the coral reefs.)

NoTe To ThE jUdJeS:
Hi...thank you for reading this blog.Hope you like it!Anyway, we really hope to win this contest as we did so much work and put in so much effort to keep this blog going.But we did not just make this blog for winning,we really hope that everyone can do their part to save the coral reefs as we find it such a pity that so many coral reefs are dying and being damaged so fast.

So I guess thats all.Once again thank you for reading this blog.And we are looing forward to continuing with this blog during the school holiday.
For the very last time, we Audrey;Ashley;Clarissa are shouting out a very big'ThAnK yOu FoR rEaDiNg ThIs BlOg'.Thanks =)))!

How to make a coral

2008-08-31T11:35:00.002+08:00

Materials you need :
-plasic bowls
-pieces of charcoal, porous brick, tile, cement, or sponge
-water
-table salt (iodized or plain)
-liquid bluing (found in bleaches at grocery stores)
-food coloring
-measuring tablespoons
-masking tape
-pens
1.Put some pieces of charcoal, brick, tile, sponge, or cement into your bowls.

2.Pour two tablespoons of water, two tablespoons of salt, and two tablespoons of liquid bluing over the base material (charcoal, etc.) Set bowls on a table or counter top. Formations need free air circulation to develop.

3. The next day add two more tablespoons of salt.

4. On the third day, pour in the bottom of the bowl (not directly on the base material) two tablepoons each of salt, water, and bluing, then add a few drops of food coloring to each piece of base material.

5. A crystal formation should appear by the third day. If not, it may be necessary to add two tablespoons of household ammonia to aid the growth. (Only adults should handle and add the ammonia). To keep your formation growing, just add more bluing, salt, and water from time to time.

6. The water, bluing, and dissolved salt combined to form crystals, coral polyps use dissolved calcium carbonate to create the stony cup that protects their soft bodies and creates reefs.

TADA! The 'coral' is made! Take good care of the first 'man-made coral' you made! :D

Rising sea temperatures on coral and fish communities!!

2008-08-27T19:49:00.001+08:00

The research, the first to show the long-term impact of rising sea temperatures on coral and fish communities, suggests that "large sections of coral reefs and much of the marine life they support may be wiped out for good," according to a news release from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, an institution involved in the project.

The report shows the long-term impact of 1998's record high sea temperatures which caused a worldwide coral bleaching event.
Bleaching causes coral to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae algae living in their tissues -- algae that provide corals with nourishment.
Losing their algae leaves coral tissues devoid of color, and thus appearing to be bleached.
Corals can recover from short-term bleaching, but prolonged bleaching (over a week) can cause irreversibstressesle damage and subsequent death.
Coral bleaching is associated with a variety of physiological , the most important of which is elevated sea surface temperatures.

Based on surveys of 21 sites covering over 50,000 square meters of coral reefs in the inner islands of the Seychelles in 1994 and 2005, the international research team found that coral cover declined significantly following the 1998 event which bleached 90% of the region's coral.
In 2005 average coral cover in the area surveyed was just 7.5 percent and fish diversity had decreased by 50 percent in the most effected areas.
The researchers say that collapse of reefs ruined habitats for resident fish species and eliminated important food sources.

The survey found that four fish species may be locally extinct and another six species are at critically low levels.
The scientists say that the disappearance of smaller fish species may have a more lasting effect on the food chain, especially given the reefs' relative isolation which makes recovery more difficult since larvae cannot recolonize from outlying reefs.

"We have shown there has been very little recovery in the reef system of the inner Seychelles islands for seven years after the 1998 coral bleaching event." Lead researcher Nick Graham, of Newcastle University's School of Marine Science and Technology, said. "Reefs can sometimes recover after disturbances, but we have shown that after severe bleaching events, collapse in the physical structure of the reef results in profound impacts on other organisms in the ecosystem and greatly impedes the likelihood of recovery."

The study comes as scientists are increasingly concerned for the long-term propects of coral reef ecosystems.
Several studies have recently warned that the world's coral reefs face a grim future should global temperatures and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide continue to rise.
Higher ocean temperatures will produce increasingly severe bleaching events, while elevated levels of carbon dioxide could further acidify the world's seas.
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, head of the University of Queensland's Centre for Marine Studies, believes that Australia's Great Barrier Reef -- the world's largest reef -- could lose 95 percent of its living coral by 2050 should ocean temperatures increase by the 1.5 degrees Celsius projected by climate scientists.

How Touching...

2008-08-23T18:12:00.001+08:00

A MOVE TO SAVE THE CORAL REEFS

Anyone who has given thought to the pitifully fragile state of the oceans' coral reefs should have been heartened by the recent classification of two kinds of coral as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The inclusion of the elkhorn and staghorn, two species of Caribbean coral, was a welcome first for the list, prompted by a task force on coral reefs established by President Bill Clinton and continued by the Bush administration.

The prominence given to the two spiky formations may help to educate the public about creatures that many people do not understand.
Coral colonies consist of billions of tiny organisms and can take centuries to grow just a few feet.
But now whole stretches are being killed off at alarming rates around the world by bad human behavior.
That includes the dumping of untreated sewage or industrial runoff into the ocean.
Coral that is constantly broken by irresponsible snorkelers, divers, poachers or fishing boats takes decades to recover, if it ever can.
Human dependency on fossil fuels contributes to global warming and rising ocean temperatures.

Coral reefs, wildly colored when healthy, can go chalk white when they are sick and dying, usually the result of stress from sustained higher temperatures in the sea or exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. Last fall, record amounts of bleaching occurred in the Caribbean, killing at least 8 percent of the elkhorn coral colonies off the Virgin Islands.

Coral reefs cover a very small part of the ocean, less than 1 percent.
But they contribute mightily to the sustenance of ecosystems needed in the oceans, attracting and supporting diverse sea life.
When reef systems die — as happened off the Seychelles islands, where sea temperatures were elevated for several years — varieties of fish become extinct.
Coral reefs also provide natural barriers to severe weather, like storm surges from hurricanes.
And they process and recycle carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The official recognition that coral deserves to be protected is a step in the right direction and may buy some time.
But more action is needed, and quickly, if the underwater wonders that support so much life are to survive intact.

Poem Time (:

2008-08-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

THE FEVER

The coral reefs are changing color,

the black and crimson bleached away:

the ocean’s rising fever,

in every drop the seas over,

damages the membrane of symbiotic algae

and coral reefs change their color.

True, it’s less sensational than acts of terror.

True, we can slather sunblock, then sunbathe,

despite the ocean’s rising fever.

After all, the planet isn’t broiling over;

algae is not an inflamed country.

It’s just coral reefs, changing color.

I wonder if it’s, yet again, the ozone layer

ruined by my aunt’s persistent use of hairspray—

this ocean’s rising fever?

I already own my share of vivid jewelry

from Mother’s childhood village on Maui.

Still, the living are losing color

in my ocean’s escalating fever.

The impact of global warming on coral reefs

2008-08-22T17:08:00.000+08:00

Coral reefs around the world have been severely damaged by unusually warm ocean temperatures.
A WWF report shows that less than 5% of the Great Barrier Reef will remain by 2050 if the world fails to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Destructive fishing practices, pollution, coastal development and climate change are all taking their toll.
Coral reefs are extremely important for biodiversity.
They provides a home to over 25% of all marine life.
They are also vital for people and business.
They provide nurseries for many species of commercially important fish, protection of coastal areas from storm waves, and are a significant attraction for the tourism industry.
However, coral reefs are very fragile sensitive ecosystems that can only tolerate a narrow temperature range.
One of the most visually dramatic effects of climate change on corals has been bleaching. When the ocean warms, the oxygen content reduces, and corals become ‘bleached’. As Ashley has mentioned before.
The heat affects the tiny algae which live symbiotically inside the corals and supply them with food. The heat stress damages the algae and in consequence leads to coral death.
Global warming could now mean a death sentence for many coral reefs.
If the present rate of destruction continues, most of the world's coral reefs could be killed within our lifetime.

10 easy steps to help save the reef

2008-08-21T17:59:00.000+08:00

Do you want to make a difference every day?
Learn the 10 easy steps here!
1.Conserve water: The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans.

2.Help reduce pollution: Walk, bike or ride the bus. Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs.

3.Use only ecological or organic fertilizers: Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life.

4.Dispose of your trash properly: Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish.

5.Support reef-friendly businesses: Ask the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef. Be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort.

6.Plant a tree: Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet and the rising temperatures of our oceans.

7.Practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling: Do not touch the reef or anchor your boat on the reef. Contact with the coral will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill it, so look for sandy bottom or use moorings if available.

8.Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup: You don't live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Earth.

9.Contact your government representatives: Demand they take action to protect coral reefs, stop sewage pollution of our oceans, expand marine protected areas and take steps to reverse global warming.

10.Spread the word: Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Share this excitement and encourage others to get involved.

Easy? Lets get started now! :D

Coral bleaching

2008-08-20T20:20:00.000+08:00

Coral bleaching is one of the main ways that coral reefs could die.
Coral reef bleaching is the whitening of the creature due to reduction of photosynthetic pigment.
Bleaching conditions that last longer than ten weeks usually lead to the death of the coral.
It is caused by a change in sea temperature, sedimentation, freshwater dilution, and could be caused by many other things too.
It is thought that half of all the coral reefs will die within the next forty years unless extreme measures are taken to save them from the climate changes.
Twenty percent of the Earth’s coral reefs have been completely destroyed already.
Another threat to coral reefs that causes bleaching is that there are very destructive fishing practices, like poison fishing that makes the coral more vulnerable to bleaching.
It can decrease coral cover or get rid of fish that are important for the coral reef ecosystem.
If we don’t start protecting the coral from bleaching, a lot more coral will die.

And, do you know that in autumn 2005, in the biggest bleaching event in the Caribbean, corals died that were already alive when Columbus shipped these waters.

Threats to the coral reefs

2008-08-19T22:44:00.000+08:00

Did you know that we are literally "loving our reefs to death."
The coral reefs are in danger of being destroyed by the sheer numbers of visitors?
Here are some threats to the coral reefs.

STANDING, TOUCHING, ANCHORING:
Even the slightest touch can crush the fragile living coral polyp, exposing the entire coral head to infection and disease.
Visitors that touch, stand, or scrape the coral with fins, hands or equipment damage a coral that has grown for hundreds of years.
Corals typically grow only one-half inch per year.
The scrape of a fin can introduce bacteria that may lead to the death of a coral head that is hundreds of years old.

BOAT ANCHORS:
Anchors destroy wide areas of coral by the sheer impact.
Anchor in sandy areas, away from coral and rubble areas of the reef.
Use mooring buoys, if available.
Once damaged, corals living in waters that are less than pristine are easily overcome with nuisance algae, that out compete the corals for habitat.

BOAT GROUNDINGS:
Centuries of coral growth can be broken into fragments in the first moments of collision with a big large ship.
Living coral is crushed by the sheer weight of the vessel.
Cargo or fuel spilled onto the reef can do additional damage.
Large freighters and ships that accidentally run aground get the most attention for killing large areas of coral reefs.
But just as threatening are small pleasure boats that are literally chipping our reefs to death by groundings, propeller damage, and poor anchoring procedures.
The cumulative effect of small boat groundings is just as harmful.

PROP DREDGING:
Prop dredging occurs when boaters enter shallow waters and their propellers stir up the bottom sediments.
At best, this leaves a milky white trail of calcium carbonate silt, blocking sunlight and smothering bottom-dwelling organisms.
Propellers also often uproot and shred sea grasses and cut channels in the sea grass beds that may never grow back.

OIL POLLUTION:
Oil pollution from bilge discharge, untreated sewage from live aboard and pleasure boats, and increased turbidity from boat wakes reduce the conditions required for healthy coral growth: clear clean, nutrient-free waters.

So help spread this and save the coral reefs today!

Where are coral reefs found?

2008-08-19T20:58:00.001+08:00

You must be wondering where we can actually find coral reefs!
Here are some places where coral reefs are most likely to be found.

Famous coral reefs and reef areas of the world include:
* The Great Barrier Reef - largest coral reef system in the world, Queensland, Australia;
* The Belize Barrier Reef - second largest in the world, Belize, Central America; and
* The Red Sea Coral Reef - located off the coast of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
* Pulley Ridge - deepest photosynthetic coral reef, Florida
* Many of the numerous reefs found scattered over the Maldives

Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometres, with the Indo-Pacific region (including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) accounting for 91.9% of the total.
Southeast Asia accounts for 32.3% of that figure, while the Pacific including Australia accounts for 40.8%. Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs only account for 7.6% of the world total (Spalding et al., 2001).

Coral reefs are either restricted or absent from along the west coast of the Americas, as well as the west coast of Africa.
This is due primarily to upwelling and strong cold coastal currents that reduce water temperatures in these areas (Nybakken, 1997).
Corals are also restricted from off the coastline of South Asia from Pakistan to Bangladesh (Spalding et al., 2001).
They are also restricted along the coast around north-eastern South America and Bangladesh due to the release of vast quantities of freshwater from the Amazon and Ganges Rivers respectively.

Coral Reefs

2008-08-19T20:55:00.001+08:00

Coral reefs are the most diverse and beautiful of all marine habitats.Large wave resistant structures have accumulated from the slow growth of corals. The development of these structures is aided by algae that are symbiotic with reef-building corals, known as zooxanthellae.

Coralline algae, sponges, and other organisms, combined with a number of cementation processes also contribute to reef growth.

The dominant organisms are known as framework builders, because they provide the matrix for the growing reef. Corals and coralline algae precipitate calcium carbonate, whereas the framework- building sponges may also precipitate silica. Most of these organisms are colonial, and the slow process of precipitation moves the living surface layer of the reef upward and seaward.

The reef is topographically complex. Much like a rain forest, it has many strata and areas of strong shade, cast by the overtowering coral colonies. Because of the complexity, thousands of species of fish and invertebrates live in association with reefs, which are by far our richest marine habitats. In Caribbean reefs, for example, several hundred species of colonial invertebrates can be found living on the undersides of platy corals. It is not unusual for a reef to have several hundred species of snails, sixty species of corals, and several hundred species of fish. Of all ocean habitats, reefs seem to have the greatest development of complex symbiotic associations.

EL NINO

2008-08-19T16:11:00.000+08:00

Ever heard of El Nino?

It happens every 3-5 years...
What happens?
Well, the cold current off the coast of South America is replaced with unusually warm water at the sea surface.
This event is called El Nino (the boy child) as it happens at Christmas.

It arises off the coast of Peru.
However, its effect is widespread in the Pacific.

In Central America, the winds off the sea die away, so no clouds form over the mountains.
This means that all the toads and other wet-loving animals suffer from the dry conditions.
The wet season becomes drier and shorter, many plants cannot flower, and animals fail to reproduce.

Here is the sad part.
Climate change is making El Nino events more severe and more frequent!
Here is why I posted this on a save the reef blog.
Because:
El Nino causes bio-erosion too
Which means, it damages reefs.
This is just another way El Nino is dangerous.
Especially because of its increasingly common occurrences.
So lets just do our part and save every part of the earth that we can. :D

Coral Reefs

2008-08-18T23:30:00.001+08:00

Appearing as solitary forms in the fossil record more than 400 million years ago, corals are extremely ancient animals that evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years.
Coral reefs are unique (e.g., the largest structures on earth of biological origin) and complex systems. Rivaling old growth forests in longevity of their ecological communities, well-developed reefs reflect thousands of years of history (Turgeon and Asch, in press).
Not only that, but coral reefs are also very beautiful sea creatures.
So calling everyone to slow down global warming and do your part to save the coral reefs today!

25 things we can help to save the reefs

2008-08-18T20:12:00.001+08:00

Here are 25 things we can do to help the reefs:

1. Support reef-friendly businesses.
Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operators, hotel, and other coastal businesses are doing to save the coral reefs. This is especially important in coastal areas with reefs. Let them know you are an informed consumer and care about reefs.

2. Don't use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers.
Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed and may ultimately impact the waters that support coral.

3. Volunteer for a reef cleanup.
You don't live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacations: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the world's treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.

4. Learn more about coral reefs.
How many different species live in reefs? What new medicines have been discovered in reef organisms. Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reef ecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world's coral reefs.

5. Become a member of your local aquarium or zoo.
Ask what they are doing and what your donation can do toward saving the world's coral reefs. The answer may pleasantly surprise you.

6. When you visit a coral reef, help keep it healthy by respecting all local guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs.
Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to protect the reef.

7. Support conservation organizations.
Many of them have coral reef programs, and your much-needed monetary support will make a big difference.

8. Spread the word.
Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Sharing this excitement gets everyone you speak with involved.

9. Be an informed consumer. Consider carefully the coral objects that you buy for your coffee table. Ask the store owner or manager from what country the coral is taken and whether or not that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time.

10. Don't pollute
Never put garbage or human waste in the water. Don't leave trash on the beach.

11. Recycle.
This is the first step each of us can take to make a change. Recycle anything and everything. If your community doesn't have a program, do it anyway, and get one started.

12. Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually finds its way back into our oceans.

13. Report dumping or other illegal activities.
Environmental enforcement cannot be everywhere, and your involvement can make a big difference.

14. Keep it clean.
You may be in the habit of picking up your own trash. You may even participate in an organized cleanup. But have you considered carrying away the trash that others have left behind?

15. Only buy marine aquarium fish if you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner.
In some areas, marine fish harvested for the pet trade are stunned with sodium cyanide so that capturing them is easier.

16. Surf the net!
Many different addresses exist to link you to information about coral reefs and what you can do to become involved. A good starting point is at http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/coral-reef.html

17. Don't start a live rock aquarium.
Although this living rock is still harvested legally in some places, its collection is devastating to the reef organisms habitat.

18. Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems. Not only do you learn about the local resources, but you will be protecting the future of the reef by supporting a non-consumptive economy around the reef.

19. Don't anchor on the reef.
If you go boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when they are available.

20. If you dive, don't touch!
Take only pictures and leave only bubbles! Keep your fins' gear, and hands away from the coral, as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.

21. Participate in the Great American Fish Count.
You can enjoy your vacation time than snorkeling or diving in America's coral reefs and helping scientists better understand reef fish populations.
22. Volunteer.
Volunteer and community coral reef monitoring programs are very important. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, or other estuarine environment) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs.

23. Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves.
Encourage your friends to get involved with projects to protect special areas.

24. Be a wastewater crusader!
Make sure that sewage from your boat, from others' boats, and from land is correctly treated. The nutrients from sewage feed growing algae that can smother an kill corals

25. Inform yourself.
Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect the world's coral reefs.

Why should we save the coral reefs?

2008-08-17T22:28:00.001+08:00

Coral Reefs are the oldest, most complex ecosystems on earth.
They are home to more kinds of life than any other ocean environment and rival the tropical rainforests on land.
They have existed for well over 200 million of years and achieved their current level of biologic diversity 50 million years ago.
These majestic underwater worlds are home to some of the worldâ€™s most colorful and diverse life forms including fish, hard and soft corals, sponges, jellyfish, anemones, snails, rays, crabs, moray eels, lobsters, sea turtles, dolphins, and seabirds.
However, most coral reefs are now threatened with extinction due to a combination of impacts that are particular to each reef, depending upon the use and upland activities affecting it.
Here are some of the leading threats to coral reefs:

Water Quality Decline: Corals require clear, clean, nutrient-free waters to thrive.
Algal blooms caused by excess nutrients in the water column out-compete slow growing corals for habitat and reduce oxygen levels, decreasing visibility, increasing chlorophyll levels, and inhibiting photosynthesis dependent on sunlight.
The kinds and extent of diseases attacking corals have increased in recent years and have reduced coral coverage.
As oxygen levels are reduced, fish and other sealife cannot survive at the reef.

Pollution: Coral reefs are impacted by multiple stressors including agricultural runoff from pesticides and fertilizers, inadequate sewage and stormwater treatment, siltation from coastal development and beach renourishment projects, contamination from petroleum products, and sewage, oil and toxic discharges from boats, including antifouling paint applied to boat bottoms.

Overharvesting: As fish and other wildlife populations decline, the delicate predator-prey balance of life on the reef is upset.
Experts warn that fish populations are at risk because maximum sustainable yields for many species around the world, including some that are endangered, have been exceeded.
Destructive fishing techniques such as the use of cyanide and trawling gear damage reef habitat.
The outright depletion caused by the harvest of coral and live rock for construction and the aquarium/curio trade has destroyed many reefs around the world.

Physical Damage: Anchors dropped on reefs, as well as accidental boat groundings and propellor dredging can crush and scar coralheads, destroying years of growth.
Diver/snorkeler impacts from fins, hands, equipment or standing on corals can crush the fragile living coral polyps.
Marine debris, especially plastics and monofilament line, can smother or abrade corals and is deadly for birds, fish and turtles that become entangled in it or mistake it for food and ingest it.
Storms and hurricanes wreak extensive damage on coral reefs, which serve as a barrier to adjacent lands.

Global Climate Change: Rising sea temperatures cause coral bleaching, stressing corals that expel their symbiotic algae, lose their color, and lose their vitality.
Corals are the canaries in the coal mine for our planet health.

Help do your part to slow down global warming and save the caral reefs today! :)

A poem on reefs

2008-08-17T18:14:00.000+08:00

Just a short observation and inner speculation...

Standing on the edge,
twisted branch breaks way
colors, explode beneath gray water
a man walks to me and says;
"We cannot build here, they say
that Mangroves are in our way."
what a shame, he's shaking his dark head
A cell in me jumps up to agree,
for what a joy to erect a cabin,
some structure upon
this paradise by the sea...

I gaze at the coral reef hidden under
sunlit waves
'a single touch-a piece dies,'
the divers caution
yet I recall reaching for it like gold,
a Midas touch will destroy
even a tiny pink branch of its brittle beauty

"Am I a victim of my own grasping?"
I ask this stranger, so angry that his own reaching hand has been slapped
by the rules,
"Like Butterfly wings, I touch without thinking," I tell him.
I touch without thinking-and the insect crumbles
never belonging to me, yet I continue to swipe these delicate gifts, fancied only as possesions, rather than
settling for a satisfied gaze,
I'll never tame beauty with touch nor taste
How could it be that the whole world does not belong to me?

"We don't want the world," the stranger argues, "Only this small piece, a tiny parcel. Is it too much to ask for? A new home by the sea?"

"The Mangroves should stay," I say.

the man's face churns red,
"Oh, one of those," he huffs, his arms
unfolding in a circle, as if to hug a tree
I watch, realizing I'm one of him,
but only in soiled spirit
when I used to want everything my own way,
though I try to understand
this sudden cleansing of my soul

I need to walk backward a while,
hovering too long on two legs,
is a stature certain to be
self-absorbing
The winds have turned me inside-out
I still like improvement-but more naturally
Must we fight nature with such aggressive fists, a fighting pose that will certainly
turn back on us in the shape of a sword?

You know better than I what the sea needs, I whisper alone in the dark
The knotted limbs of the old Mangroves
are no longer mere shadows to me,
they bow politely to sundown,
like sleepy sheperds, gently guarding
all this ocean against so many
two-legged wolves.

2008-08-17T17:54:00.000+08:00

There has long been a belief that the sea,
at least, was inviolate,
beyond man's ability to change and to despoil.
But this belief, unfortunately, has proved to be naive.

Pollution, overfishing, and overuse have put many of our unique reefs at risk.

Their disappearance would destroy the habitat of countless species.

It would unravel the web of marine life that holds the potential for new chemicals,

new medicines, unlocking new mysteries.

It would have a devastating effect on the coastal communities from Cairns to Key West, Florida

-- communities whose livelihood depends upon the reefs.

So,think about the reefs,

about the marine world who are homeless without reefs to depend on.

Quickly,do your part to save the reef now before it is too late!

Did you know?

2008-08-16T15:54:00.000+08:00

Did you know that about percent of the world's coral reefs were either threatened or destroyed, up from 59 percent in 2002?

Did you know that about 16 percent of coral reefs had been damaged by unprecedented bleaching in 1998?

Did you know that just one coral species out of more than 250 has disappeared from Singapore waters in over 100 years, despite the fast and furious pace of urban development here?

Did you know that about 60% of local reefs has already been destroyed?

Did you know that another 50% of local reefs is expected to be wiped out through current coastal development?

Did you have any idea that so many reefs are being damaged/destroyed?

Quickly, help do your part to save the reefs now!

What is a coral reef?

2008-08-15T13:40:00.001+08:00

I know you must be wondering why we are only talking about what a coral reef is now.
But still, I am going to tell you about what a reef is.
Here is the definition:

Coral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water.

High nutrient levels such as those found in runoff from agricultural areas can harm the reef by encouraging the growth of algae.

In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate.

The accumulation of skeletal material, broken and piled up by wave action and bioeroders, produces a massive calcareous formation that supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life.

Although corals are found both in temperate and tropical waters, shallow-water reefs are formed only in a zone extending at most from 30°N to 30°S of the equator.

Tropical corals do not grow at depths of over 30 m (100 ft).

Temperature has less of an effect on the distribution of tropical coral, but it is generally accepted that they do not exist in waters below 18 °C. However, deep water corals can exist at greater depths and colder temperatures.

Although deep water corals also form reefs, very little is known about them.

The importance of the coral reefs

2008-08-15T13:25:00.000+08:00

Do you know that the coral reefs are actually very important in the marine world?
There are many reasons.
But the most important reason is because:
they provide protection and shelter for many different species of fish!
Without them,these fish are left homeless with nowhere to live.
Without these fish, people can't eat reef fish and mollusks anymore!
Imagine a world with no beautiful reefs and reef fish!

The destruction

2008-08-15T13:16:00.001+08:00

Global warming causes destruction almost everywhere.
Even destructions to the innocent coral reefs!
Look at how the reef at Indonesia looks like! :

Isn't that horrible?
It should actually look as beautiful as this...:

Look at what global warming has done!
Do your part.
Slow down the worsening of global warming...

Hello.

2008-08-15T11:22:00.000+08:00

HELLO! :D
I am Clarissa Sung.
The other two authors are:
-Ashley Zhu
-Audrey Choo
We will be working on this blog together!
Hope you enjoy reading this blog! :D
ENJOY!

Help Save The Reefs!!!

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How to make a coral

Rising sea temperatures on coral and fish communities!!

How Touching...

Poem Time (:

The impact of global warming on coral reefs

10 easy steps to help save the reef

Coral bleaching

Threats to the coral reefs

Where are coral reefs found?

Coral Reefs

EL NINO

Ever heard of El Nino?

Coral Reefs

25 things we can help to save the reefs

Why should we save the coral reefs?

A poem on reefs

Did you know?

What is a coral reef?

The importance of the coral reefs

The destruction

Hello.

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