While many people enjoy swimming snorkeling, and other water activities in the Caribbean sea while they are on vacation, you will find that many people are not aware of the delicate ecosystem that lies on the ocean floor, just beneath their feet.
The Ecology Of The Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean sea is more that just a beautiful body of water. In its depths you will find 20 percent of the worlds coral reefs. These reefs cover about 20,000 square miles. The majority of this space is located around the Central American coast, in the Caribbean sea. This is why the Caribbean is known to be a great diving destination.
Coral reefs are beautiful, but they also serve a large purpose in this ecosystem. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse species of fish and other ocean creatures in the world. But because coral reefs are so fragile, the warmer waters of the Caribbean sea have not been good for the coral. When the ocean water temperature exceeds 85 degrees any extended period of time, the plants that provide nutrition to the coral will begin to die off. When the coral cannot eat, the coral in the Caribbean sea cannot survive and will first begin to lose its color. Bleaching is becoming a big problem for coral in the Caribbean sea, and once it is bleached, it will not come back.
Not only is coral important to the Caribbean sea diving industry, it is also important to the fishing industry. The delicate ecosystem of the sea can easily get out of balance if just one species dies off. This will cause major impact on the Caribbean sea fishing industry. This in turn will do a whole lot of damage on the economy of these Caribbean coastal towns, if nothing is done to save the coral reefs.
What You Can Do To Help Save The Coral Reefs
So what can you do to protect the coral reefs in the Caribbean sea? While scientists work to protect this wonder of the world, you can do your own part by keeping your own pollution to a minimum. The factors of pollution and global warming are just part of the overall problem, but ever little bit can help to save the coral reefs. You can also go and see the coral reefs in order to get a picture of what they look like when they are healthy.
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