Here’s what would happen if Coral Reefs Disappear

                           Coral reefs are filled with colourful ocean life but they’re in the danger of dying off, the planet has lost about 50% of its coral in the last 30 years. If the rest goes consequences would be dire sea life has the most to lose, coral reefs cover more than 1% of the ocean floor but they provide an essential ecosystem for 1/4^th of all marine life. One of these creatures a certain type of sea slug is actually an important ingredient in certain cancer-fighting compounds. In fact, some estimates predict that we are 300 – 400 time more likely to find new drugs from coral reef ecosystem than land-based ones but that’s only if they survive the next century.

                           In addition to breakthrough medicines over half a billion people depend on these reefs for food and work, almost 1/5^th of worlds protein comes from seafood. The U.S fishing industry supports one and a half million jobs alone, nearly a quarter of what the U.S meat and poultry industry employs. Without reefs billions of sea life creatures would suffer, millions of people would lose their most significant food and economies would take a major hit/downfall, but it’s not just about the jobs, coral reefs attract tourists to more than 100 countries these tourists spend billions of money diving into the oceans. Without these attractions economist estimate, the coastal tourism would drop by more than 9% which is an estimate of $36 billion.

                           These reefs also provide protection to the tourist's reliant coastlines they act as a natural barrier cancelling out 97% of wave strength and protecting more than 200million people. Considering sea walls for the same protection might be convincing but cost a couple of million dollars for a mile.  But today humans are putting these all at risk rising ocean temperature and pollution stress the corals which can kill entire coral ecosystem within just a few months, half of U.S Caribbean coral died in one massive bleaching event back 2005.

                           If we do nothing to cool down the earth’s/ocean’s temperature the remaining corals could barely exist. The conclusion is earth could survive without coral reefs, Humanity couldn’t.