Climate Change
Climate change remains one of the biggest threats to the Reef. The two of biggest threats posed by climate change on the Reef are; the increase in acidity level and the high level of the sea temperature. These two factors continue to pose a threat to the Reef and make Reef’s existence and survival difficult.
The increase in sea temperature will result in overheating of the sea, which will, in the long run, lead to the bleaching of the coral. Again, the increase in the sea temperature would also have an adverse effect on the coral by reducing the coral’s ability to create its skeleton. This skeleton when it is built serves as a natural habitat for aquatic lives which relies on it. Failure to construct the skeleton implies that marine creatures would have to find other means of habitat, which would be difficult.
Climate-Driven Impacts on Reef Health
Increase in temperature of the sea would also amount to erosion in the coastal region; the health of the sea would also be affected. When the health of the sea is affected, it may lead to inundation of the land, and there would be the overflow of saltwater into habitat that is made up of fresh water.
Increase in acidity level has been said to be on the rise since the inception of the eighteenth century. This increase in the ocean’s acidity level is due to the 30% increase in the carbon dioxide produced from human activities. This excess carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere, and a load of it finds their way into the sea. This excess carbon dioxide has changed the sea’s acidity level leading to ocean acidification. When this occurs, the pH of the ocean will decline.
In the long run, this activity would hamper the health of the Reef and ultimately cause irreplaceable damage to the Reef. Marine life that depends on the Reef for their habitat would also be endangered.
Education and Ongoing Marine Monitoring
Again, the increase in the harsh weather condition also has a detrimental effect on the Reef. It would damage the structure of the Reef and lead to the overflow of freshwater out of the coast into the Reef.
In order to protect the Reef from the impending damage posed by climate change, there is a need for the people in the region of the Reef to be adequately educated on how to provide resilience to the pressure from the climate.
In order to preserve the Reef from the impending doom, there is also an urgent need for concerned people, particularly the government or research institutes, to carry out regular marine monitoring. This monitoring program aims to continually provide report and data on the finding in the aquatic-bodies. This would help put in place policies that would protect the Reef.
Everyone is also saddled with the responsibility to see to it that the ecosystem is adequately protected and endangered species are provided with the necessary care required.
