As you sit here reading this article, the world around you is evolving. From the dirt beneath your feet to the sky that lies above you, every second, you are looking at something different. You may not notice it now, but after some time at experiencing the same space around you, there will come a moment when something catches your eye. Something out of the ordinary. Something that doesn't seem right.
However, when we begin to notice these things, sometimes it is too late to change what has already occurred. And, in our worst moments, it takes the prospect of losing something that was once taken for granted to truly appreciate what it once offered. Or, more specifically, what it could have offered for our future.
For one ecosystem, this story is too often told.
The Great Barrier Reef, one of Australia's most breathtaking wonders, has been predicted to undergo the biggest change of its life due to the damage it has sustained over a considerable amount of time.
The damage has been described by some scientists to be linked to coral bleaching, where under extreme warm temperatures the coral release the algae within them, making the once vibrant organism stark-white in appearance. In some descriptions of the coral, they resemble the ghosts of the lives they used to follow under the coastal waves.
In some cases, the coral is able to heal itself to face another day. However, for many pieces of the large chain of organisms, some of the damage has far surpassed the point of no return.
As for other living species that depend on the coral for shelter and food, their numbers steadily decline as well. Without their source to sustain themselves, they, too, fall under those affected by the disappearance of these once colorful pieces of ocean art.
This means that for the thousands of tropical species, including different types of fish and reptiles, some may not be as prevalent around the area or may even become extinct depending on their dependence on the natural wonder.
On a larger scale, some scientists and biologists are suggesting that The Great Barrier Reef will only be around for a few more decades until, after all the coral turn white from the rising water temperatures around them, the coral fall to the depths of the ocean bottom.
Citizens of Australia are currently putting blame on their government for not putting enough emphasis on the recovery of the coral, instead placing importance on the extraction of oil from these areas, one of the reasons for the rise in temperature on the coast and around the reef.
However, unless something is done, and soon, there may not be anything to extract but a desolate image of what used to be. The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonder that holds the promise for life that may never be seen again, from the hundreds of different types of coral to the endangered species that thrive in these areas.
To me, I don't want the reef to be a memory sketched onto paper to be put into museums but a thriving ecosystem for the world to admire for years to come.
