10 ways to protect CORAL REEFS
Choose sustainable seafood. Learn how to make smart seafood choices at www.fishwatch.gov.
Conserve Water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually find their ways back into the ocean.
Volunteer. Volunteer in local beach or reef cleanups. If you don't live near the coast, get involved in protecting your watershed.
Corals are already a gift. Don't give them as presents. It takes corals decades or longer to create reef structures, so leave them on the reef.
Long-lasting light bulbs are a bright idea. Energy efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is one of the leading threats to coral reef survival.
If you dive, don't touch. Coral reefs are alive. Stirred-up sediment can smother corals.
Check sunscreen active ingredients. Seek shade between 10 am & 2 pm, use Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) sunwear, and choose sunscreens with chemicals that don’t harm marine life. For more information, visit oceanservice.noaa.gov/sunscreen
Be a marine crusader. In addition to picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind.
Don't send chemicals into our waterways. Nutrients from excess fertilizer increases algae growth that blocks sunlight to corals.
Practice safe boating. Anchor in sandy areas away from coral and sea grasses so that the anchor and chain do not drag on nearby corals.
