Check out the beauty of these Coral Reefs, and a great Ted lecture by Margaret Wertheim. She leads a project to re-create creatures of the coral reefs using a crochet technique invented by a mathematician. The project spans 3 continents.
Officials met at the World Oceans Conference on May 15, 2009, to discuss the rapidly worsening problem of disappearing coral reefs. Like so many ecosystems affected by climate change, coral reefs are in serious danger. Mary M. Glackin, U.S. deputy undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere, explained that "changes we expected to see are actually happening faster than we thought." Already, we have lost 27 percent of the world's reefs and, if current rates of degradation continue, another 60 percent will be lost in 30 years. Clearly this resource is in danger, but the stakes are higher than you may realize. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that coral reefs serve as the habitat for 25 percent of marine life. In addition, coastal reefs serve as an important barrier against rough seas and storms. When all of their advantages are considered, the loss of a single kilometer of coral reef can cost as much as $1.2 million in lost revenue and damages over a 25-year period.
Comments