A month ago, I returned home from a trip to Australia with National Geographic. Many people back home were curious what my on assignment project for studying wildlife and biodiversity consisted of. A lovely Canadian named Beverly and I were assigned to work specifically on the Great Barrier Reef. We decided our final would consist of sharing some insight and education on the reef and some tips on how to protect it.

The following piece will be submitted into a book that will combine every final project:

Hot sun kisses my back as a cold wind dances through my hair. Splash! The cold water shocks my skin like an electric eel. Every hue of blue you could imagine rests in the rocky waters I’ve just jumped into. Through the yellow mask strapped to my head, the world underneath me looks like every snorkeling brochure I’ve ever seen. Fish of every color swarm below me. I make eye contact with a huge Hump-headed Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus undulates) and he quickly tries to scurry off. In this moment it hits me: I am in swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Scientists say the Great Barrier Reef is averaged to be about 344,400 km² long, the same size as Japan. The reef is home to six hundred plus types of coral, six out of seven’s endangered turtle species, one-thousand, five-hundred species of fish, one hundred, thirty-four species of sharks and rays, and thirty different species of marine mammals. The Great Barrier Reef is the only visible living thing from space.

No research and photos could have actually prepared us for the real Great Barrier Reef. Although we only had time to spend two days out on the reef, the entire experience there was absolutely surreal. A small, often unappreciated beauty of the reef lies in the interdependence of the individual reef systems. Although the entire Great Barrier Reef is composed of a multitude of individual reefs, these separate systems live and breathe together as one unified system. The reef acts as a home for thousands of different species as well as seasonal breeding grounds for animals like humpback whales.

Due to process of ocean acidification and global warming that triggers coral bleaching, there was a horrifying amount of dead and damaged coral present. In 1998, studies showed that 50% of coral was bleached, 5% was damaged, and only 45% of coral had remained unaffected. Just four years later in 2002, the amount of bleached coral jumped to 60% and the amount of unaffected coral was only 35% – we can only imagine what the numbers are today.

In February this year, a mass bleaching event –very likely triggered- by global warming occurred. Coral reefs thrive at a comfortable temperature of approximately 26 degrees centigrade, but in February the ocean heated up to a whopping 32 degrees celsius. A great amount of coral was unable to survive this extreme heat; hence the event being labelled a “mass bleaching event.” Research during this event put in evidence that 93% of coral is showing signs of stress. Ocean acidification, much like global warming, works to further coral bleaching.

Currently, the effects of ocean acidification are not as obvious as those of global warming, but scientists believe that it will have the biggest impact long term. To put it simply, ocean acidification occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which results in the creation of carbonic acid and a decrease in the ocean’s pH. The presence of carbonic acid in the ocean prevents coral, as well as other ocean creatures such as giant clams and crabs, from building up their exoskeletons in a process called calcification. In a 2008-09 study, scientists found that coral reef calcification (the process by which coral creates its exoskeleton) decreased by 40% compared to results pulled from studies in 1975-76. Ocean acidification will ruin the coral, and how can a coral reef survive without it?

To protect the oceans and the wildlife that lives in it, every person can do their part. During this trip we had the opportunity to talk with a marine biologist named Johanna Leondhardt that works daily on monitoring and exploring the reef. She clued us in on some easy ways to protect the reef.  Making others aware of the damage being done to the reef is the first step to protecting the wildlife. Turning off the lights when they are no longer being used, unplugging appliances that are in the outlets, and being more environmentally responsible with transportation can help keep the coral reef alive. Eating exotic fish can set off the balance prevent the offset of an entire ecosystem of the food chain; a quick google search on whether or not an animal is endangered can maintain the ecosystem’s balance. Another way to protect the creatures of our oceans is to reduce the amount of plastic we consume. Animals often get caught up in plastic waste, such as six packs. By cutting up a six pack and recycling it, rather than throwing it in the trash, a sea turtles’ life can be saved. Microfibers of plastic have been found all over the ocean, even our smallest creatures are unaware that eating trash can kill them. In order to do our part in protecting the creatures of the sea, we must filter what is being allowed to go into their habitat. The coastal mangroves in tropical Australia filter the natural fertilizers and sediments out of the water with their root system, keeping the water clear, allowing for photosynthesis with the coral polyps. The mangroves are a nursery for a lot of the animals that live in the Great Barrier Reef, a couple examples being rays and fish. Not supporting big corporations that tear down the mangroves for commercial property, such as large hotels, can also help reduce the amount of coral bleaching that occurs.

The opportunity to see such incredible wildlife present in the reef up close was the introduction for a need to protect the ocean for a lifetime.