Help the Elkhorn
Hello, this is IGL and this post is about
helping the Elkhorn Coral. The tissue of Elkhorn Coral is covered with
zooxanthellae, a type of algae that has a symbiotic relationship with coral.
The zooxanthellae produce food for the coral by photosynthesis, while the coral
gives the algae shelter and space for sunlight.
Elkhorn Coral is a great home for other sea
life because a) they can outgrow competitors in their tropical reef habitats because
of their light structures; b) Elkhorn Coral colonies are simultaneously
hermaphroditic, being able to reproduce young with themselves because they are both
sexual and asexual (their offspring will be exact clones as their
mother/father); and c) Elkhorn Corals, whenever hungry, can prey for fish and
plankton using their long tentacles.
However, despite these advantages and
adaptations to survive, the Elkhorn Coral is critically endangered. Because of
disease, natural disasters, coral bleaching, human activity, and pollution, the
Elkhorn Coral is disappearing. The main factor is global warming. The climate
change causes the waters in the ocean to heat up, which the zooxanthellae do
not like. This causes coral bleaching. With the disappearances of
zooxanthellae, the corals are vulnerable to disease. The climate change also
causes more hurricanes, harming the coral reef habitats. The bacteria from
human pollution also cause more diseases for the Elkhorn Coral. Destructive
fishing practices and human waste harms the reefs.
There are many ways for you to help. You
could:
1. Start a petition and get people to sign it.
2. Educate people and tell them about it.
3. Use less electricity and fossil fuels. Try
walking or biking instead of driving around in cars. Don’t use electricity when
you don’t need to.
4. Start throwing away your trash and stop
increasing pollution.
5. Don’t destruct coral reefs by fishing or
any other human activity.
Help the Elkhorn
Idea+Gift=Love IGL
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