Protect Ariel’s Home: Coral Reef Preservation

I love little fishies, don’t you? We get to see some beautiful examples of coral reefs in The Little Mermaid — how the coral reefs support marine life wherever they are and some fun representations of the animals that live in the reefs. Coral reefs support thousands of different animals, plants, invertebrates, marine mammals, and birds. The nooks and crannies of the coral structure provide shelter, places to find food, space to rear young, and other important functions to help the creatures who call the reef home. The coral itself is inhabited by zooxanthellae, which live with the coral in a relationship called mutualism. Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic algae which produce food for the coral (in the form of carbohydrates) and oxygen while the coral provides a safe place for the zooxanthellae to live.

Coral reefs are very slow growing; they average less than an inch per year, with the fastest corals growing about six inches per year. They also live for a very long time: there are some deep sea coral colonies (which live up to 20,000 feet deep) that are over 4,000 years old, and the Great Barrier Reef started growing around 20,000 years ago.

It’s such a shame that these structures — so beautiful and so old — are disappearing because of the climate crisis. One of the threats that the reefs are facing is from ocean acidification. This happens when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, something that happens frequently because the ocean is also the largest carbon sink on Earth. As the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the pH level of ocean water goes up; in the last two hundred years, the ocean’s pH has increased 30%, which is a faster change to ocean chemistry than any time in the last 50 million years. The acidification impacts coral reefs because it makes it harder for the corals to form their hard skeletons and also causes them to dissolve.

The other major threat from climate change is an increased surface water temperature. This affects corals’ relationship with their zooxanthellae: as the water temperature increases, corals become stressed and expel their zooxanthellae. Once this expulsion happens, the corals lose their color, and this is when they are referred to as ‘bleached.’ Corals can recover from bleaching events, but most often, they die.

The impacts of the climate crisis are also affecting the communities of people who depend on reefs for their food and livelihood. Even though they make up less than 1% of the ocean floor, and around 6 million people rely on the reefs for their food and income. Additionally, around 100 million people rely on coral reefs for coastal protection from storms and natural disasters, as coral reefs can reduce wave height by 84%.

TALK IT OUT

• If you live near coral reefs, is there something you could do to help make people aware of their importance to your community? Are there organizations that do outreach to help the general public understand the benefits of having a flourishing reef?
• If you are traveling to visit a coral reef, are there steps you can take to make sure you interact with it safely? Such as checking local recommendations, making sure you are wearing coral reef safe sunscreen, or trying to book your trip with organizations that work towards protecting the reef?

GET CRAFTY

Coffee Filter Coral

Source: https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/science-at-home/diy-science-fun/coffee-filter-coral

Objective:

Make your own coral reef using coffee filters and bask in the beauty of these structures!

Supplies:

• Deep container (such as a bowl)
• Coffee filters (about 7 per coral)
• Water
• Food coloring
• Pipe cleaner or string

Instructions:

1. In a large deep container (use multiple containers if you want your coral to have several colors), add 5–10 drops of food coloring to 1 cup of water.
2. Add coffee filters to the container and remove them once they have reached the desired color.
3. Set the coffee filters on a hard surface and allow them to dry overnight.
4. If using a pipe cleaner, poke one hole through a filter and thread through. If using string, poke two holes and thread one end of the string through each hole.
5. Add around 7 filters to the pipe cleaner or string this way, scrunching them up to varying degrees to give them more dimension.
6. Once you have your filters threaded through, either fold over and secure the pipe cleaner or tie the string together to secure the filters.
7. You can make several corals with different colors and create your own underwater scene!

TAKE ACTION

• If you live in a state with coral reefs off your coastline, call your local representatives and voice your support for legislation that protects the reefs. For other U.S. residents, call your national representatives and voice your support for legislation that protects U.S. reefs and for legislation that addresses climate change.
• Find and support an organization that works towards coastal restoration. While they may not be focused on coral reefs specifically, working on coastal restoration and preservation is important everywhere. Coastal environments across the globe help protect communities from extreme weather, especially BIPOC communities in flood prone areas. All the better if you find an organization that is BIPOC-led–don’t forget that BIPOC communities are often at the forefront of climate change organizing!
• Volunteer with an organization that works towards encouraging environmentally conscious voters to get out and vote. Many voters whose first concern is climate change don’t vote, and working to get them to the polls could have a big impact.

Conclusion

The reality of the climate crisis may be bleak, but the future doesn’t have to be. Fan activism, the organizing methodology that Fandom Forward was founded on, involves making connections between pop culture and the real world to inspire fans to take action for social change. The power fan communities have is incredible, especially when they work together on a common goal. Please use these articles to organize and inspire action amongst your fellow fans, your friends, and your family. We can’t wait to see what the Disney fandom–arguably one of the largest fandoms in the world–does to Protect Ariel’s Home!

If you take action, please tell us about it! #ProtectArielsHome

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Resources

• Coral reef ecosystems
• Corals And Coral Reefs
• 6 Reasons Coral Reefs Deserve Protection
• The effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation