How Do Coral Reefs Affect Our Ecosystems?

Introduction: These bright colored systems are important in our ecosystem for many reasons. Often called the rainforests of the ocean, coral reefs are a vital source for this planet. They provide a buffer, protecting our precious coasts from catastrophic storms, horrendous waves, and damaging floods. Coral reefs provide and form an amazing barrier to protect our sandy or rocky shorelines from everything bad in the questionable ocean. Not only do they protect us humans from flooding, erosion, and everything else that is bad from the ocean. These coral reefs that you see in pictures and on television, contain the most diverse ecosystem in the planet for the thousands of species that live in them and use them. But just like every vital thing on this planet, they are disappearing and dying off. These damaging activities that we humans do are killing this beautiful, and helpful ecosystem. Coral mining, pollution, overfishing, the digging of canals, etc. are just some of the activities that are killing it. When the planet warms from all of the greenhouse gases and pollutants being released into the air, it warms the oceans up, too. If oceans warm, it causes coral bleaching, which if severe kills the coral. We need to save these beautiful ecosystems for the species that inhabit it, as well for us.

State of the Issue: Concerns about coral reefs have only

This may seem like not a big deal, but it is. I live thousands of miles away from coral reefs and even oceans! But when these chemicals from the products you are using seep into the water system, it will eventually flow into the ocean. Pollutants flowing into the ocean pollute every part of it, and it harms the coral reefs and all of the marine life. Everytime my mom and I are using products for our grass, I will make sure it is healthy for the environment and so that it doesn’t pollute my