A recent article, or obituary I should say, from The Outside Online went viral last week, claiming that the Great Barrier Reef had officially died. The obituary recalled the reef’s long history, its contributions to the world in the fields of science and exploration, which were also its claims to fame, and its ultimate demise at the hand of none other than the human population, indirectly through climate change and bleaching. The news of the reef’s death spread like wildfire and mourning over the world’s great loss commenced immediately. Regret began to set in for many that we as a population should have done more to save this natural wonder. According to this obituary, all was lost and there was nothing we could do to revive this tragic beauty.
The good news is that scientists were fast to act in dousing the rapidly spreading rumor that arguably one of the most beautiful and diverse ecosystems was a goner. Those who just days, maybe ever hours before, had been rattled with guilt and grief were able to breathe a sigh of relief that the end had not come. The importance of this fortunately false obituary, though, is that it has hopefully brought to the attention of many, the very real, very relevant problem that is the destruction of our natural world.
As pleased as we all were to learn that the GBR is not dead, it is still rapidly on its way. The Huffington Post, who published the response article to the inaccurate obituary, said that despite the Great Barrier Reef not being dead, it is terminally ill. The rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change and the general bleaching of the coral there, which is caused by pollution and overexposure to sunlight, are causing the algae that keep the coral healthy to flee, eventually resulting in the death of the coral. The death of the coral is just the beginning of the end for the ecosystem that exists in the GBR. The effects of the coral bleaching lead to the death or migration of the sea animals that reside there, and before we know it, the reef will actually be dead. For real.
Even more good news: there’s still plenty of hope for the Great Barrier Reef, so long as we curb the bleaching process and make an effort towards slowing down climate change. If we give the coral a chance to “breathe” and repair itself, there is a very good chance that of the 3,000 reefs that comprise the GBR as a whole can recover and return to their diverse and beautiful prime.
There is already enough of a problem as it is, trying to get people to understand the urgency of climate change. The last thing we need is for people to assume that the battle is lost and there is nothing we can do to save our environment. We are lucky that the scientists who have reacted to the obituary and The Huffington Post have brought the need for action to the attention of those who cared enough to mourn the “loss” of the GBR. Hopefully, they and more will join the efforts to protect our precious ecosystems or we will not only have to read obituaries for the Great Barrier Reef, but for reefs, and rainforests, and natural wonders everywhere.
