Find More Posts by Musho In many popular spots in tourist areas I think this statement is perfectly correct. You have to think on broader terms, if one person wants to touch something, chances are it will be touched many more times than that. They are trying to make sure thousands of people don't go around touching everything.
Think about hanauma bay and what it has to deal with. The coral there is pathetic even with all kinds of warnings about 'touching". Its the same as with many things. People think their effect is small, but never consider all the other people that repeat their actions. One person has no effect, but thosands over a year does. So yes IMO touching a coral can kill it in this context, and should always be avoided. Find More Posts by Caleb Kruse. Think about what a diver who didn't know much about coral would do if he touched a coral like a frogspawn.
It would shrink up, and I'm sure he would think he killed it. The "if you touch it, it will die" thing was explained to me in a way that kind of made sense to me by my cousin, a diver in South Florida. He explained it to me this way. Telling someone that they "might injure" the coral by touching or handling isn't enough to discourage people from handling the coral.
The "instant death" and "huge fines" thing is a good, harsh way to make people avoid touching, standing on, or otherwise handling the coral.
Think about it. It goes back to the old health class theory of discouraging teenage romps by telling children that the utterly worst thing will happen if they get frisky. In reality, he had called b. Then, he suddenly realized that the dive sites he frequented in his travels were filled with brown carpets that stung like you wouldn't believe and fire coral.
It's meant to discourage people from either standing on the reef, roughly handling corals, attempting to break off pieces and bring it home, touching things that could be venomous, or otherwise harassing reef animals.
But, y'know what? If you touch corals on their flesh, they generally close up anyway, and who wants to see an angry coral all clamped and closed up tight?
People kick up sand onto the corals, smothering them. Some people even scratch their names in the coral, killing the living polyps. Unlike the graffiti example, much of the damage done by visitors to coral reefs is unintentional, and people are often unaware of the consequences of their actions. Most of the people I see standing on the reef or damaging coral are there because they wanted to enjoy the wonder and beauty of snorkeling in a coral reef. The coral is the reason for their visit, but their knowledge of what a coral looks like and how to protect it is sadly lacking.
This same study found that detailed conservation briefings reduced the amount that divers touched the reef. However, these discussions need to be detailed: another study found that one sentence included in a dive briefing did not make any difference. Reminders from the dive leader during the dive did make a big impact in reducing coral damage.
This is the reason why I often stop snorkelers to talk to them about what they are doing, much to the embarrassment of my family and friends. It's important to remember to be friendly - most people have good intentions as the study I mentioned above showed. Direct impact of humans on coral reefs is only one among many threats. Global warming threatens to increase the frequency and severity of bleaching , and sea level rise may put them out of reach of the sun needed by their symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae.
Diseases are a growing concern, and may wipe out entire reefs. Pollution from coastal development and runoff smothers them under sediment and poisons their water. So why should I care about a few handsy divers and snorkelers? I care because I believe this is a glaring symptom of how important education and awareness of your actions and surroundings is to ocean conservation.
Healthy coral reefs are extremely important , and if you don't know what a coral looks like, and how delicate it is, you will probably have no problem standing on it to fix your goggles. If you're not paying attention to where you're kicking your feet, you may kick the branches right off a staghorn coral. The importance of awareness reverberates through many aspects of reef conservation, from buying pets did your new fish come from a coral reef?
What kind of actions in your day-to day life could you be more aware of to help protect coral reefs and the ocean? Simply touching corals to see what they feel like can cause the death of an entire colony. Oils from your skin can disturb the delicate mucous membranes which protect the animals from disease. If feeding coral is startled, it retracts for protection and in doing so is unable to feed. Swim well and clear of the reef and kick to keep head out without the possibility of kicking the reef, or search for a sandy or coral free shallow place to stand.
Using fewer household chemicals, especially on your lawn or garden, or in your kitchen or bathroom can help prevent marine pollution. Fish safe sunscreen is an important choice to make. It is also beneficial to support reef-friendly businesses, such as snorkel or dive operations that take steps to avoid damage to the reefs.
Marine life also often mistake our trash for food. Ask about the locations of mooring buoys so you can safely tie off your boat without damaging it or any surrounding marine life. Additionally, always anchor your boat in areas with a sandy bottom.
Anchoring on corals or in a seagrass bed will cause damage. Learning more about the corals and marine life you encounter on vacation is easy and fun. A quick visit to a local dive shop, marine park center or aquarium will put you in touch with knowledgeable experts with more information about corals, the marine life they support and how you can help conserve them. Your hotel or cruise may also have additional resources.
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