TruemorsCoral reefs are dying a death of a thousand
cuts and their disappearance threatens not only the incredibly diverse
ecosystem that depends on them, but also human health and welfare.
In
this episode of MicrobeWorld Video marine scientists Ove
Hoegh-Guldberg, Ph.D., chair of marine studies at the University of
Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and Kiho Kim, Ph.D., director of the
environmental studies program at American University, explain the
important relationship between microbes and corals, and how this
delicate symbiosis that sustains life on and around reefs is facing
numerous threats from human interactions to global climate change. In
addition, Tundi Agardy, Ph.D., founder and executive director of Sound
Seas, discusses the need for public policy and community-based
conservation efforts that may help stave off the degradation of these
vital ocean ecosystems.
According to a 2004 report issued by the
World Wildlife Fund, 24% of the world's reefs are under imminent risk
of collapse through human pressures; and a further 26% are under a
longer term threat of collapse. If nothing is done to protect these
resources, many scientists estimate that reefs around the West Indies
in the Caribbean will be gone by 2020, while the Great Barrier Reef may
only last for another three decades.
Please visit the following sites for more information about coral reefs:
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