Should you be interested in reef-safe sunscreens?

I have always admired this ocean planet. 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and 96.5 percent is in the oceans. In fact, it’s really an ocean with bits of land popping up here and there.

How are we so lucky to have a planet with an ocean capable of sustaining such an abundance of life forms on land and sea? Where did the water come from? Scientists have theories but nothing is certain. Do other planets have water? The evidence points to oceans on the other hand planets, but Earth is the only known planet to have consistent, stable bodies of liquid water on its surface. This is because Earth is in the habitable zone, meaning it is not too close to the sun for the heat to evaporate water and not too far away for it to freeze. And then there’s the perfect amount of gravity that keeps the water where we want it to be.

I know space exploration is as exciting as it gets, but we know so little about this wondrous planet we live on that I wonder why we aren’t more curious about it. A NASA employee once told me that the amount of money allocated to explore the source and sustain life on Earth, the oceans, is a rounding error in the amount of money spent on space exploration. It boggles my mind! Is there anything more beautiful out there than what we already live in?

The importance of coral reefs

I think we need to protect and nurture Planet Earth, and the only way we can do that is to try to understand it. One thing we do know is that the oceans are under pressure. Climate change is literally changing everything. Take, for example, our barrier reefs. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is so huge it can be seen from space. It spans 1,400 miles. It is home to billions of marine species and is the largest living organism in the world. Its importance to our survival cannot be overstated, all reefs are important to our survival. Why;

Well, selfishly from a human point of view, they protect us coastlines from storm disasters that are becoming more frequent due to extreme fluctuations in ocean temperatures. Storms erode coastlines taking homes and livelihoods with them. Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income and protection. The net economic value of the world’s coral reefs is estimated to be tens of billions of dollars annually.

And what about the reefs themselves that are often called “the rainforests of the sea?” About 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs. That’s a lot of fish! They find shelter and food, reproduce and raise their young in the nooks and crannies of the coral. (And here I must digress and recommend a documentary called “My octopus Master.” If you haven’t seen it, put it at the top of your list. It will not disappoint.).

Reefs are fundamental to a healthy ocean. But Coral reef ecosystems are under serious threat. Pollution, sedimentation from runoff, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change are leading to coral bleaching and death. In 2005, the The US has lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in a year due to a mass bleaching event. Between 2014 and 2017 The unusually warm waters affected 70% of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef has lost hundreds of miles to bleaching.

What doone You HeyThe to Hhopefully THEur sigood looking and messential THEcean Reefs?

• Even if you live thousands of miles away from an ocean, the herbicides and fertilizers you use will eventually flow into the ocean. Find green alternatives that won’t harm coral reefs and marine life.
• Research where your seafood comes from and whether it is sustainably caught. Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to coral reefs.
• You probably think that buying wild shrimp is a better option than farmed, but the methods for catching shrimp are destructive to the oceans. It’s too long to explain here, but this article it will tell you everything you need to know.
• Be careful if you buy aquarium fish. How were they acquired?
• Recycle and dispose of rubbish properly. Somehow, so much of our trash ends up in the oceans. Whenever I walk on the beach, I take a garbage bag with me. I am shocked at how much plastic I collect that has washed ashore. I have seen plastic bags wrapped around coral, suffocating it to death.
• Do not buy coral ornaments or jewelry
• If you like to dive or snorkel, avoid touching or standing on reefs. Anchoring your boat to the reef will harm and possibly kill the delicate coral animals.
• Volunteer! If you live near the coast, volunteer at local beach or reef cleanups. If you don’t live near the coast, get involved in protecting your local watershed.