An example of their tireless work can be found in an article written by Katherine Whitehead, "The Demise of Coral Reefs". Here is an excerpt from her great article:
Coral reefs are a natural habitat for many fish, invertebrates and algae. They have been described by scientists as “the rain forest of the sea”, and are potentially the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
These coral reef ecosystems are being destroyed by over-fishing, destructive fishing methods, interference from recreational divers, coastal development and global warming.
Due to advances in technology, fishing has become very efficient, over one hundred million tons of fish are caught each year. Sadly this has led to the downfall of many species of fish causing disruptions to the oceans food web. As the numbers of larger fish decline, smaller fish are caught to continue to meet demand. The declining numbers of smaller fish allow accelerated algal growth which starves the corals of sunlight preventing Zooxanthellae from photosynthesising and slows growth. This reduced growth makes corals vulnerable to boring animals, such as sponges, polychaete worms and molluscs which weaken the corals structure and cause them to collapse.
Many fishing techniques are incredibly damaging. Trawl nets used for deep sea fishing are armed with steel weights that are bulldozing entire reef ecosystems. Reefs that have taken thousands of years to develop are being reduced to rubble in an instant. These reefs will not grow back in our lifetime.....
....Forms of fishing that appear to be ecological, such as farming are also affecting corals adversely. Scientific studies have shown that waste from fish farms increases nutrient levels in surrounding waters, resulting in excess algae....
Please see the entire article at: http://www.johngrayrecyclers.org/id63.html
And, as with all of our partners, please help us support them. Go to their websites and see what they are doing to change the world!
1 comment:
The John Gray Recyclers would like to thank you for announcing us as a new partner. Together we can make a difference in the preservation of our oceans.
The John Gray Recyclers would like to congratulate you on "No Fish in My Dish" which is sending a very important message to the public about the importance of the protection of the world's oceans.
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