WHY CORAL REEFS?
The ever-encroaching extinction of coral reefs in the world is an ongoing epidemic. Coral reefs are a key component to marine ecosystems and are just as important to the areas surrounding them on land. They provide breeding grounds, protection, and habitats in general. A variety of marine life is then used by humans as a food source or as a source of tourism. Without coral reefs, tourism in coastal regions will decrease and the food supply will become more restricted causing more and more fisheries to go into deeper waters or resort to fish farms instead, which comes with a whole different slew of problems.
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While the costs of conserving, protecting, and rebuilding coral reefs can be expensive short term, the long term benefits far outweigh the difficulties faced in the beginning. All it takes is one person, one organization, one catalyst event to begin the process of saving the environment and world economies.
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Without the coral reefs to provide beauty and tourism
activities, the employment rates in the coastal regions will suffer due to the lack of jobs in the tourism industry. Since 1990, the global labor force has been steadily declining and the destruction of coral reefs is starting to create an impact on this rate in a negative way (World Economic Situation And Prospects: April 2019 Briefing, No. 125 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations, United Nations).
While the costs of conserving, protecting, and rebuilding coral reefs can be expensive short term, the long term benefits far outweigh the difficulties faced in the beginning. All it takes is one person, one organization, one catalyst event to begin the process of saving the environment and world economies.The protection and rebuilding of coral reefs in coastal regions would be beneficial not only from an environmental standpoint but also from an economic one.
One massive way that has been invented to restore coral reefs is a new technology called Biorock. Biorock Technology uses low voltage and safe electrical charges to help grow and fix the reefs and bring back their normal habitats. The coral are placed on the
electrical frame, and they are sent with the trickles of electricity. Now, they aren't growing new, natural coral. This process is to restore the reef, in order to maintain a habitat for marine life who depend on the reef for protection. The structures being built are consisting of limestone materials and eventually, makes the medal frame disappear. Biorock material has a great chance of natural coral growing on it. That is another reason why this process is so helpful.