The strange disease spreading through Florida's corals
Lesson created by Alexandra Panzer using TED-Ed's lesson creatorVideo from OceanX YouTube channel
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In the past 70 years, coral cover in the iconic Florida Keys has dropped from 50% to 5% and is predicted to fall even lower thanks to a brand-new villain known as stony coral tissue loss disease. OceanX took scientists from Mote Marine Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a survey of the Florida Reef Tract to identify the bacteria causing the corals to get sick and try to find a cure.
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- Video created by OceanX
- Lesson Plan created by Luka Seamus Wright
Lauren McAlpine
Lesson in progress
Discuss the importance of healthy coral reefs to both marine ecosystems and human economies. What actions can individuals and communities take to contribute to the preservation of these ecosystems?
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Anir Balaji
Lesson in progress
in response to Darena Nguyen Show comment
I agree! The safety and protection of Florida's corals is essential for marine life and us!
Anir Balaji
Lesson in progress
The importance of healthy coral reefs is vital to the preservation and improvement of marine life. Individuals and communities can help clean up their environment better. The destruction of Coral reefs in Florida would severely impact the marine life ecosystem. As they also provide for us, helping them by preserving and protecting. Helping the marine life's and ecosystem also ensures the continued future and diversity of our species of animals and corals. This increases biodiversity among the populations of corals and other marine life. Tourism and Agricultural industries benefit from the diversity, population and safety of the Corals as they are a part of Florida's ecosystem all together. Some action individuals and communities can take to contribute to the preservation of these ecosystem is by cleaning up the environment around of them if it mean throwing away plastic not littering and especially not dumping their trash into the ocean. And releasing less gas emissions also helps.
Darena Nguyen
Lesson in progress
Healthy coral reefs host numerous species of marine life. For instance, they include various sponges, oysters, clams, crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, and many species of fish. Subsequently, if coral reefs were to be destroyed, these species would be displaced and eventually perish. Thus, preserving coral reefs to essential in ensuring biodiversity. Moreover, with fewer of these species, agricultural industries may be affected (especially those pertaining to seafood), and tourism industries related to scuba diving or coral reefs will definitely be affected. As a result, some actions individuals and communities can take include releasing less gas emissions to prevent the decalcification of coral reefs and promoting healthy waste processes from factories.
