“The more we warm the planet, the more it costs us all, not just in money, but also in colossal famines, displacement, deaths and species extinctions. as in the loss of some of the things that make this planet a blue-green jewel, including its specialized habitats, from the melting of the Arctic to the bleaching of coral reefs” (Solnit). There are many coral reefs in different oceans of the world and they are protected in different ways. Coral reef destruction is a huge problem, and although countries conserve coral reefs differently, the best way to conserve them is to have marine protected areas because they allow the habitat to rebuild naturally. Coral reef destruction occurs for many reasons. The main reasons include climate change, unsustainable fishing and pollution (“Threats”). As temperatures rise, the amount of coral bleaching and the spread of disease will also increase. CO2 absorbed into the ocean reduces the amount of coral formation. Using gear in contact with the bottom to fish could directly damage coral reefs, and trawling creates the worst damage where it is permitted. Diseases affecting corals have recently become a problem as have aquatic invasive species. Coral reef destruction is observed in all oceans where they are present, some are recovering better than others. Marine protected areas help our oceans naturally rejuvenate and greatly improve the health of the oceans' marine life. Areas where marine life is protected allow it to grow and multiply in terms of population and diversity. The coral reefs in the Flowerbank Garden are in good condition today thanks to conservation efforts, but without them they would rapidly lose health and we would lose many of them. important spawning... middle of paper... The northwestern Hawaiian Islands are remote and uninhabited, allowing us to monitor short- and long-term evidence of worsening coral reef health. Habitat restoration and conservation methods used here can be monitored to determine how they affect ecosystem health. Main Hawaiian IslandsPalauGuamFederated States of MicronesiaMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaWorks Cited"Marine Protected Areas". Ocean conservation. Ocean Conservancy and Web. 17 December 2013. "NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program." NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. National Ocean Service, October 29, 2013. Web. December 11, 2013. Solnit, Rebecca. "The invasion of the destroyers of democracy". Tomdispatch.com. Tomgram, October 24, 2010. Web. December 11, 2013."Threats." NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program:. U.S. Department of Commerce, May 17, 2011. Web. December 12. 2013.
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