Remote coral sites around Samoa found to be a virtual "graveyard"
I have previously shared news explaining how climate change is destroying coral reefs mainly via acidification and warming of the oceans, which contribute to coral bleaching and can also inhibit coral reef growth. Many of these previous studies were centred on big coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in Australia. In these places, direct human activity, such as pollution or overfishing, is also a big contributor to coral death. Given this, scientists thought that smaller, more remote coral reefs around the world would be faring better. A new study, accompanied by the impressive video footage below, has sadly shattered those hopes.
As National Geographic explains, scientists sponsored by the Tara Expeditions Foundation set out to study 124 coral reef sites found near the Upolu island in Samoa, expecting to find them in better relative health. What they found instead was a graveyard, where live corals populated less than one percent of the reef area—down from an estimated 60 to 80% in the recent past—in half the sampled sites. Local fish numbers and body sizes were also found to be diminished.
The silver lining? Those sites within the limits of protected areas established back in 1999 had significantly higher coral coverage (40 to 60%), suggesting that conservation efforts can actually have a positive impact.
Further reading and sources:
"Even Remote Coral Reefs Aren't Spared From Devastation" at National Geographic
You just planted 0.04 tree(s)!
Thanks to @tychoxi
We have planted already 4903.22 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
My Steem Power = 26009.87
Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku