Coral Reefs Are Dying...

There are'nt many natural wonders underwater. Coral reefs are one, but you need to look deeper underwater to be amazed by this unique wonder. Sadly, man's own doing is threatening it's very existence.

Living reefs host one of every four of ocean species known, providing them protection and an abundant supply of food.

These reefs that surround the islands also them shelter from the onslaught of tidal waves.

Global warming , acidification of oceans, pollution, over fishing and human intrusion is having a devastating impact on the coral reefs.

In 50 years, three-fourths of reef systems could be lost forever. Bleaching — because of warming — has destroyed more than 90 per cent of coral around Seychelles.

This is bad news, since 90 per cent of the world's coral reefs are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Globally, coral reefs cover an estimated 300,000 sq km, many acting as effective buffers against erosion and storms. Reefs are also a rich source for medical formulations used to treat a wide range of diseases like asthma, viruses, fungal and bacterial infections, heart disease and cancer.

It takes millions of years for a full-fledged coral reef system to establish itself as a biodiversity-rich underwater rainforest, and it takes only a few decades to destroy it.

Coral reefs host a wide diversity of marine life that feed predating species and contribute to maintaining the delicate balance of life in the oceans.

Belize, which is a few hours getaway holiday destination from the United States is also a popular place for scuba divers.

Scientists in Belize working on the barrier reef there believe their case is particularly strong. They say the reef, which runs for almost 200 miles along the coast of central America, has suffered more than 40 per cent damage due to bleaching since 1998, and that much of it is now so badly fractured that another hurricane this season would simply sweep it away.

Today, we know that the environmentally harmful green house gases are causing global warming leading to bleaching and destruction of reefs. Some scientists say that the changing environment will cause the reefs to adept to the new conditions and the reefs will regenerate and grow again. What if this growth doesn't come fast enough. We may lose the coral reefs in some parts of the world forever. So isn't it better for us to reduce the pollution and the green house gases now, rather than quibble with the semantics of what might happen.