Welcome to "Blue Reflections" ...
Blue Reflections is Underwater Odyssey's Environmental Awareness "Blog Column", where we contribute articles to remind children and adults of all that the underwater world has given us ... human survival, beauty and marine animal friendships.
I invite you on this exciting journey to voice your environmental concerns, share your environmental knowledge and expertise with our audience, but most importantly share your amazing environmental stories with our audience to help remind everyone ... that one person can make a difference!
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| PHOTO BY: BUDD RIKER |
I invite you on this exciting journey to voice your environmental concerns, share your environmental knowledge and expertise with our audience, but most importantly share your amazing environmental stories with our audience to help remind everyone ... that one person can make a difference!
"The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed"
- Jacques Cousteau -
Please forward article submissions for review to:
Krista Dunlop
Krista Dunlop
Editor & Chief
Email: kdunlop@underwaterodyssey.ca
Email: kdunlop@underwaterodyssey.ca
Underwater Odyssey reserves the right to accept or deny all article submissions at its sole discretion. In addition we reserves the right to edit all editorial content prior to posting. All article submissions will receive the "author's' written approval prior to being posted.
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Mother Nature Needs Our Help ─ Coral Reefs
How have humans played a role in threatening our Coral Reefs?
Water Pollution
Ocean Warming and Coral Bleaching
Sedimentation
Listed below is a link to one of Dr. David
Suzuki’s published books, which I believe you will find fascinating and truly inspirational:
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| Krista Dunlop - Article Author |
Mother Nature Needs Our Help ─ Coral Reefs
“Coral reefs are presently in extreme danger around the world ─ 11 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been lost and 16 percent were seriously damaged during the 1998 El Nino incident. In the next thirty years if “human threats” are not reduced, scientists foresee that another 32 percent of our coral reefs may be lost.”
How have humans played a role in threatening our Coral Reefs?
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| Photo By: Chuck Savall, St. Lucia 2012 |
Through extensive scientific research, pollution has been identified as being one of the leading causes of our coral reefs dreadful conditions. How does this happen? Coral reefs are harmed when human, animal waste and/or fertilizer are dumped into the ocean, or when our river systems carry these pollutants to waters where coral reefs inhabit. These pollutants increase the level of nitrogen around coral reefs, which then causes an overgrowth of algae and smothers the reefs by cutting off their sunlight … which they need to survive. Human trash is also a huge cause for killing polyps (coral reef animals), as it blocks off the sunlight which polyps need to survive. While turtles swim among the coral reefs they often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Subsequently, the plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive tract, which in turn then causes them to die from starvation. Fishing nets are another crucial problem, as they can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.
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| Photo By: Dan Norton - Micronesia 2009 |
Why is ocean warming so dangerous to coral organisms? For the reason … that they are very sensitive to changes in temperature. This occurs when coral polyps, stressed by heat or ultraviolet radiation, expel the algae that live within them. These algae, normally provides the coral with up to 80% of its energy, therefore, making algae crucial for coral survival. The algae are also responsible for the colour of coral, so when they are excluded … the coral then appears white or bleached.
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| Photo By: Tegan C. Hoffman - FIGI 2012 |
Permission has been granted to use all photo's in this blog with the acknowledgement of the individual photographers.
Sedimentation
Construction along or inshore, mining, logging and farming along coastal rivers can all lead to serious deterioration for our coral reefs. Particles end up in the ocean and cover coral reefs from the much needed sunlight they require to survive. Mangrove trees and sea grasses that act as filters for the coral reefs are also being damaged, which in turn has substantially increased the amount of sediment reaching coral reefs.
Coastal Development
Coastal populations have increased substantial and therefore, have put enormous pressures on coastal resources. One example of this includes developers constructing piers and other structures right on top of coral reefs.
Harmful Fishing Practices
Overfishing is still a leading cause for our global coral reefs dreadful conditions even though there has been a drop of about 12 million tons in how many fish are caught. Fisheries are still catching fish they don’t need and these over-catches are simply left to die. In addition, some fisheries use such practices as banging on the reef with sticks, which destroy the coral formations where fish habitat. However, one of the most destructive practices is people fishing with explosives (blast fishing), which blast apart the surrounding coral.
Coral Mining
Corals are being used for road-fill in addition to sand and lime stone from the coral reefs being made into cement for new buildings. However, corals aren’t only removed for construction purposes … they are also sold as souvenirs to tourists and exporters in the markets of numerous developing countries.
Ozone Reduction
Corals do have a natural protective sunscreen from the tropical sun. However, it is believed by some scientists that increased levels of ultraviolet radiation does damage coral in shallow areas.
Irresponsible Tourism
Coral reefs are enjoyed by billions of people for recreational purposes. Whenever tourists grab, kick, walk on, drop their boat anchors, or stir up sediment in the reefs, they are contributing to the coral reefs destruction.
Carbon Dioxide
The amount of carbon dioxide in the last few decades has increased by one-third. This outcome has been extremely detrimental to corals, because increased amounts of carbon dioxide are dissolving into the water and is believed to be the reason why the skeletons of corals are dissolving.
To provide you with a better perspective on the devastating impacts “humans” are having on coral reefs … one must understand … how long it takes for coral to grow back. Corals grow at different rates depending on many things; water temperature, salinity, turbulence, and most importantly … the availability of food! The massive corals are the slowest growing species, adding (0.2 – 1 inch) per year to their length. Branching and Staghorn corals tend to grow much faster … adding as much as (8 inches) to their branches every year.
How you can help save our Coral Reefs?
Become A “Blue Planet Legacy Hero” and make it your life’s mission to become a guardian of our blue planet, by educating yourself and sharing your new found knowledge with your friends and family and remind them of all that the coral reefs have given us … human survival, beauty and marine animal friendships.
►Human Survival: Coral reefs provide food for millions of people living near coral reefs and commercial fishing businesses.
►Human Survival: Coral reefs provide billions of dollars in income, and millions of jobs in more than 100 countries around the world.
►Human Survival: Coral reef plants and animals contain medicinal compounds, many of which are just being discovered. However, unique compounds from coral reefs have already produced treatments for such conditions as: cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, leukemia, and skin cancer.
►Human Survival: Coral reefs provide a natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities, and beaches.
►Human Survival: Coral reefs are home to more than 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species.
►Beauty and marine animal friendships: Coral reefs are enjoyed by billions of people for recreation in the tourist industry … and simply for its majestic wonders!
Listed below is a link to one of Dr. David
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| Mary Lou Frost, Cayman Islands. |
Also, you can follow Dr. David Suzuki on his web site at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/ where he shares his wealth of knowledge world-wide, provides tips, and is an excellent resource to provide you with encouragement to take action and create a “Blue Planet Legacy", one we all can be proud of leaving to our children and generations to come.
For the Ocean … and the Children!
Krista Dunlop
Professional Scuba Diver, Author and Speaker
PADI Divemaster (#207237)
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| Krista Dunlop - Article Author |
Jacques Cousteau, underwater explorer, inventor, photographer, environmentalist and great story teller was my hero growing up as a child, and he had a huge influence with me becoming a PADI Divemaster. His television documentaries always left me in awe while eating my bowl of ice cream … and dreaming of one day when I would be able to swim with dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, coral reefs and to simply be “present” with such beauty and encounter so many marine animal friendships during my time on this beautiful blue planet of ours.
Well, my childhood dream came true. I became a scuba diver in 1988 and have had the privilege to see first-hand, all that the underwater world has given us … human survival, beauty and marine animal friendships. However, with my childhood dream, came reality ... “man kind’s selfish human nature … the taking of such beauty and resources for granted”. I have seen a turtle’s face mutilated by a boat propeller … I have seen a dolphin calf’s tail that had fallen off, because it had gotten to so tightly wrapped up in a crap trap line, and I have seen what was once a beautiful coloured coral reef now bleached white … and yes I have cried buckets of tears in my scuba mask … while being nudged by the green sea turtle, who’s face had been mutilated by a boat propeller … who’s only interest was to simply get to know me, become friends, and give unconditional love.
As a scuba diver, I believe it is my personal responsibility to be a guardian of our blue planet and to remind children and adults of all that the underwater world has given us … human survival, beauty and marine animal friendships. Through my business communications company, Krista Dunlop & Associates Inc., (www.kdainc.ca), I decided to sponsor a Corporate Environmental Awareness Educational Initiative - Underwater Odyssey (www.underwaterodyssey.ca), as a means to help preserve our blue planet.
The underwater world’s clock is about to stop ticking … and Jacques Cousteau’s amazing underwater world legacy is about to vanish forever. Become a “Blue Planet Legacy Hero” and allow the childhood dreams Jacques Cousteau left for our generation … to continue for our children and generations to come.
The underwater world’s clock is about to stop ticking … and Jacques Cousteau’s amazing underwater world legacy is about to vanish forever. Become a “Blue Planet Legacy Hero” and allow the childhood dreams Jacques Cousteau left for our generation … to continue for our children and generations to come.
One person can make a difference!
Krista Dunlop
PADI Divemaster (207237)
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How To Preserve Our Blue Planet
-Become A Scuba Diver -
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| Krista Dunlop - Article Author |
-Become A Scuba Diver -
One of the strangest sensations I have ever encountered was when I decided to take scuba diving lessons. While floating around in an alien world can be a surreal sensation in itself, when I actually took my first breath of air with my head submerged underwater, my survival instinct automatically kicked in, because at first it felt so unnatural. However, it didn't take me long to simply understand, that learning to scuba dive is simply a process of adapting to a new environment. We support ourselves with a revolutionized set of gear and then learn how to move gently, safely, and efficiently through the underwater world. We use a mask to adjust our vision. We slip on an exposure suit to provide thermal and physical protection, and modify our feet with fins for momentum. We equip ourselves with a refined bladder system called a buoyancy compensator (BC) to regulate our buoyancy. But, the most crucial modification is the breathing system; a cylinder of compressed air with a command regulator to supply a steady flow of breathing gas.
Once I received my PADI Open Water Certification, I was left in wonderment and realized, that I was about to be up close and meet all these underwater aliens my hero Jacques Cousteau had spoken about in all his television documentaries ... and who had a huge influence with me wanting to become a scuba diver.
For information on becoming a PADI Scuba Diver go to their web site at www.padi.com
Krista Dunlop
PADI Divemaster (#207237)
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| Krista Dunlop - Article Author |
Scuba Diving For The Whole Family!
Scuba diving is a sport that the entire family can enjoy learning together. More importantly, as parents you will be shaping your children’s experience so that they can find order, meaning and beauty on our blue planet. You will be carefully nurturing your children’s imaginations, providing windows through which they can look into their world and empowering them to voice their environmental concerns.
The adventures will be endless and the educational rewards will be providing your children with the tools and opportunity to become individually involved in helping to save their future blue planet and become … “Blue Planet Legacy Hero’s”.
Further information on PADI’s scuba programs for children and teenagers can be seen on their web site: www.padi.com
What great birthday presents!
Bubblemaker (ages 8+)
This program provides children with the opportunity to experience scuba diving in the pool in less than six feet of water.
Seal Team (ages 8+)
The PADI Seal Team is a scuba program for young divers who are looking for action-packed fun and challenges. Young divers are introduced to underwater photography, navigation, and environmental awareness.
Junior Open Water Diver (ages 10-14)
Young people can take the full PADI Open Water Diver program and upon completion, will become Junior Open Water Divers with certain age limitations for scuba diving.
Junior Advance Open Water Diver (ages 12-14)
Young people can continue the adventure and build their skills by taking the Advance Open Water Diver course with a few limitations.
Junior Rescue Diver (ages 12-14)
Young divers ages 12-14 rise to challenges and learn how to master them in the PADI Rescue Diver course. Upon completion, they become Junior Rescue Divers. They must dive with a certified adult.
Junior Master Scuba Diver (ages 12-14)
Young divers ages 12-14 can continue building experience and exploring unique diving environments on their way to the Master Scuba Diver Rating. They must dive with a certified adult.
Together as a family encourage your young children to become environmentally aware and instill in them the knowledge, that they have the power to save their future blue planet … through their individual actions. The future of our environmental world rests in the hands of our young children. Take part on this exciting journey with your children to create a Blue Planet Legacy, one you can be proud of leaving to your children and generations to come … through environmental awareness education!
Krista Dunlop
PADI Divemaster (#207237)
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