Coral reefs are one of the largest and most important living organisms in our ecosystem. Providing a habitat and nutrition for 25% of the globe's biodiversity, the reefs in our oceans are a necessity in continuing the cycle of our current ecosystem. Between 2008 and 2018, an estimated 14% of the world's coral reefs died, leaving a prediction that 90% of our reefs will be under severe threat by the end of this decade.
Small changes to our everyday lives can have a huge impact on slowing down this statistic if a collective effort is made. In aid of National Recycle Week, we have outlined five simple ways that you can do your bit to protect the coral reefs in our oceans.
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Repurpose old equipment
We know that as an avid Coral Nerd, you may want to purchase a state of the art piece of equipment as soon as it hits the shelves, but that doesn't mean that you need to chuck the old piece of equipment in the bin. Many individuals that are new to the reefing hobby, or simply like a good bargain, will buy second hand equipment from eBay or Facebook Marketplace. This avoids more plastic or harmful materials ending up in the oceans, and also gives you some extra cash to save up for the next must-have aquarium gadget!
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Only purchase sustainable corals
It can be tempting to choose a variety of corals from several shops to get the cheapest prices, but make a conscious effort to enquire with the shop owner how they grow their corals and where they are shipped from. At The Coral Centre we are conscious of making sure our corals are sustainably sourced; We constantly research different fragging techniques and look to discover new ways to protect coral reefs. Additionally, many of our corals are UK grown, which drastically reduces the CO2 emissions created to transport the livestock.
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Volunteer at local beach clean ups
If you live near the coast, local beach clean ups are a great way to reduce the amount of plastic and harmful waste that enters our oceans. Whether you join an organised event and meet up with likeminded people, or simply head down one evening with a few friends, small donations of time really make a difference in the long run.
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Become a conscious consumer
It’s become a given now that you take reusable bags when going to do your weekly shop. There are many other simple ways to reduce your amount of plastic waste, which should become second nature once you get into the routine. Small changes such as buying food in bulk and then freezing portions to reduce plastic packaging, and choosing products where the packaging can be recycled over your go to brand, will significantly reduce your plastic waste.
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Use less water
Not only does reducing the water you use lower your energy bills, it will also help the coral reefs! Water runoff and overflow often contains high levels of sediment and chemicals from land clearing, which can damage the corals and other marine life when it enters the ocean. So reducing your shower time to 5 minutes, and only turning the dishwasher on when it is full, are easy steps to take.
These are just a few of ways to support coral reefs at this critical time for our environment. To discuss other ways you can help the fight to protect our coral reefs, pop in to Coral HQ.