Coral reef ecosystems cover just 0.1 per cent of the ocean, yet they support 25 per cent of its life and the lives of half a billion people on land.
In the face of climate change and destructive human activities like overfishing and pollution, it is important to understand the interconnectedness of organisms in an ecosystem and how restoring these balanced systems can benefit all life on Earth.
Enter your name to experience the reef through the eyes of a sea turtle.
I bet you are hungry.
Jellyfish! Yummy or not?
Good choice! When jellyfish populations are too high, they can consume excessive amounts of fish eggs and thus hinder fishs' ability to populate. By eating the jellyfish you’re helping keep their populations in check.
Now that you’re full, you take an après-meal swim towards your favourite coral. But look who’s around the corner. A silky shark!
Oops! You might want to eat a jellyfish next time you see one. Sea turtles aren’t bothered by jellyfish stings. And by eating them, they actually keep jellyfish populations in check. Jellyfish love to eat fish eggs; too many jellyfish won’t allow fish populations to flourish.
Still hungry? There’s a patch of sea sponges beneath you—
Nice thinking! Turtles are common meals for sharks. While it’s important for the shark to eat, too, you’re just glad it wasn’t you today.
Phew! That shark took away your appetite.
Right on! Sponges compete with coral for space if there are too many of them. You’re helping make room for the reef’s biodiversity by nibbling on them.
As you swim along the reef, you spot algae growing on the coral.
Awww, you missed out on an important meal! If turtles don’t eat sponges, the sponges will compete with coral for space. They’re also pretty yummy for turtles.
But it’s alright. Dinner can wait. For now, you feel like going for a swim.
Phew, that was close! Sharks actually do eat turtles, but you got lucky this time. And you managed to pick up a few hitchhiking barnacles along the way.
Barnacles are clinging onto your shell.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. Even your decision to give the barnacles a ride helped the reef thrive. Sea turtles help carry smaller critters like barnacles around to places they aren't able to reach by themselves. Algae can also grow on a turtle’s back and provide food for fish with no harm to the turtle itself.
While coral reefs may exist under the sea, we humans interact with them daily! We harvest resources from the reef like fish and algae in order to eat and create products. Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. And that includes seagrass! Seagrass is important for coral reef health as it provides a nursery area for baby fish, it keeps the ocean clean by filtering pollution and it absorbs carbon dioxide to protect against climate change. By eating seagrass, sea turtles actually help the productivity and diversity of seagrass meadows.
And while coral reefs may exist under the sea, we humans interact with them daily! We harvest resources from the reef like fish and algae in order to eat and create products. Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and nonliving—plays a role. Even your decision to nibble on some algae helps protect the coral from suffocating. Too much algae can block sunlight and prevent photosynthesis which can cause corals to die.
And while coral reefs may exist under the sea, we humans interact with them daily! We harvest resources from the reef like fish and algae in order to eat and create products. Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. Even your decision to swim near the bottom helped cycle nutrients and aerate the sand.
And while coral reefs may exist under the sea, we humans interact with them daily! We harvest resources from the reef like fish and algae in order to eat and create products. Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. The barnacles would have lived on your back without causing any harm, and they’d get around a lot easier with the help of your speedy services. Even algae can grow on a turtle’s back and provide food for fish with no harm to the turtle itself.
But don’t worry. You can always go back and make new decisions. And just as you have the chance to create a new future for your coral reef, we as humans can decide whether or not we will keep our coral reefs healthy and vibrant. These reefs are important for many human needs like food and medicine.
Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. And that includes seagrass! Seagrass is important for coral reef health as it provides a nursery area for baby fish, it keeps the ocean clean by filtering pollution and it absorbs carbon dioxide to protect against climate change. By eating seagrass, sea turtles actually help the productivity and diversity of seagrass meadows.
But don’t worry. You can always go back and try new decisions. And just as you have the chance to create a new future for your coral reef, we as humans can decide whether or not we will keep our coral reefs healthy and vibrant. These reefs are important for many human needs like food and medicine.
Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and nonliving—plays a role. The way algae, coral, and turtles interact demonstrates this. Too much algae can block sunlight and prevent photosynthesis which can cause corals to die. Had you had an algae snack, you might have helped the corals turn the sunlight into food.
But don’t worry. You can always go back and makenew decisions. And just as you have the chance to create a new future for your coral reef, we as humans can decide whether or not we will keep our coral reefs healthy and vibrant. These reefs are important for many human needs like food, health products, and even cosmetics.
Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which means protecting our ownlives as well.
Coral reefs are delicately balanced ecosystems in which every character—living and non-living—plays a role. Take where a turtle swims as an example. If you had chosen to swim near the ocean floor, you could have helped cycle nutrients and aerate the sand.
But don’t worry. You can always go back and make new decisions. And just as you have the chance to create a new future for your coral reef, we as humans can decide whether or not we will keep our coral reefs healthy and vibrant. These reefs are important for many human needs like food and medicine.
Protecting coral reefs means protecting the ocean’s variety of life, which in turn means protecting our own lives as well.
But what we can do if over half of the world’s coral reefs have already been damaged or lost?
That’s where the process of restoration comes in.
Coral reefs can be restored in a number of ways, such as placing artificial structures on the ocean floor on which corals can grow, or planting nursery-grown corals back onto reefs.
Reefs can take many years to restore, but this process provides hope that the benefits we reap from them won’t be compromised in the future.