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Published May
2002 - Last Update June 2005
LGVN Oceans - Dying Oceans- Updates
World
Coral Reefs Wiped Out by 2050
Nearly all
the world's coral reefs will be dead.
Corals, such
as those that make up the Great Barrier Reef are dying off at an
alarming rate. Corals are delicate living creatures which provide
a balanced ecosystem for millions of other interdependent sea creatures
For example, The Great Barrier Reef stretches thousands of kilometers
along Australia's east coast. Pollution and a change in sea temperature
due to global warming are known to be the primary reasons for this
continuing disaster.
At The British
Association for the Advancement of Science conference in 2002 Rupert
Ormand, a marine biologist from the University of Glasgow provided
firm evidence that the continuing rise of sea temperatures will
wipe out the billions the sea creatures that depend on the corals
for habitat and food. And due to the greenhouse effect caused by
humans, there is no chance now of reversing the consequences.
Wreckless tourist
divers are also causing irreparable damage to the more popular coral
reef areas, and coral harvesters for the jewellery industry continue
to decimate these delicate sea invironments.
Coral destruction is also caused by an unbalance of the ocean food
chain, such as crown of thorns star fish whose numbers have risen
dramatically due to the over-fishing of their predators by man.
Like the tropical
rain forests on land, mankind's destruction of the sea is causing
an often unseen and forgotten life-threatening imbalance of the
world's natural biodiversity.
For more "Dying
Oceans" articles please go to the LGVN
front page and
choose from there.
For discussion
on these issues see GGL's at VeggieGlobal.com
Looking-Glass
and VeggieGlobal News Copyright.
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