Affects Humans Have On Our Declining Coral Reef
Stepping on coral destroys it and threatens underwater habitats
Destructive fishing methods such as blast fishing or poison fishing are most commonly used in places like the Philippines. Endangered Species International (EPI), describes blast fishing or dynamite fishing as detonating explosives in marine habitats in order to be able to kill them before they collect them. After the explosion, the fish will float to the surface and the fisherman can accumulate many at a time.
Using poisons like cyanide are also used in fishing. This method of destructive fishing includes squirting cyanide or other poisons into reef crevices to stun the fish, thus making them easier to catch. Unfortunately, This method and the use of poison to catch fish kills all the organisms in the marine ecosystem, including all the corals that help create the very foundation of the reef. Sodium cyanide and bleach are the two most commonly used poisons in poison fishing.
These kinds of fishing are not only helping humans continue to overfish our oceans, but also wreck some of the world’s most beautiful, unique, and delicate ecosystems on the planet. It takes hundreds of thousands of years for corals to grow to a size that can sustain other species. When we begin to initiate in destructive activities and behaviors we inhibit the ability for juvenile corals to settle and grow. Not only this, but a switch from coral to algal dominance will begin due to a reduction in the amount of herbivores in the reefs.