Coral Reef Decline

Over the past several hundred years the conditions of our oceans have decreased drastically. Coral reefs are home to more species than all other marine environments, and many other species rely on the coral reefs for their own survival. Today coral reefs face multiple threats such as pollution, unsuitable fishing practices, global climate change, and other human activities. If humans don’t take action to conserve and improve the conditions of the oceans the coral reefs will suffer. There are many factors that contribute to the death of coral reefs.
One of the major factors that cause coral reefs to decay is pollution. In coastal areas new development and landscape can cause runoff. The runoff can include excess nutrients, sewage outflows, and other pesticides from agricultural areas. These pollutants can reduce the oxygen levels of the water which leads to a decline in coral growth and reproduction. The runoff can also cause different types of coral diseases. Another type of ocean pollution is marine debris. Marine debris is trash that is disposed of in the ocean. The trash consists of metals, plastic, glass, and other items that are dropped off of ships, washed
One of the most common human activities that harm the coral reefs is overfishing. Overfishing can eliminate large populations of fish that are crucial for the health of coral reefs. Large nets and anchors can also cause damage to the reefs from being dropped into the water from fishing boats. Uneducated tourists that visit the areas unintentionally cause damage to the reefs when they’re swimming and snorkeling in the oceans. Fish feeding is also another issue with tourism. As more and more people feed the fish they will become adapted to the human food and rely on that for their survival. In turn the algae becomes overgrown because the fish take advantage of the human food. Overall humans can have a negative effect on the health of coral