CoralPlanet
WHAT YOU CAN DO
At Home
Recycle and Compost
Even though you may live nowhere near a reef, recycling and composting is still really important. Doing so reduces the amount of waste in landfills, which in turn reduces the amount of trash that ends up in the ocean.
Conserve
Conserving water: the less water that is used, the less runoff and waste water ends up in the ocean. Conserving waste is also a good idea. Energy efficient lightbulbs emit less greenhouse gasses, which lead to climate chaos, one of the main threats to corals.
No Pestacides
Check what is in the bottle before you spray it on the lawn. Pestacides can seep into the ground and end up in the water systems and in the ocean.
Check Before You Buy
Before you buy fish, check how it was caught. Catching fish using sodium cyanide is extremely harmful to the environment and the coral ecosystem.
Reduce Pollution
Walk, bike, take a bus, carpool, or do whatever you need to do to save energy and still get where you're going. Also, pick up after yourself and others.
Support and Volunteer
Support local buisnesses, only get local seafood, or volunteer to clean up a beach with friends. If you don't live near a beach, help protect your local watershed or do what many people do on vacation: visit a coral reef and enjoy one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Plant a Tree
Trees absorb runoff and are generally good for the environment.
Spread the Word
Tell everyone you know about coral and how they can help! This can't be done alone.
In the Water
Don't Touch
Coral reefs are alive, and moving sediments at the sea floor around can smother them.
Boat Safely
If you go boating in the ocean, make sure to anchor in sandy areas away from reefs, as the dragging anchor and chain can damage coral.
Report
Report anyone illigally dumping or polluting. This insures that the same person does not continue polluting the ocean. Also, let the person know they are being harmful to the ecosystem.
Follow Guidelines
If the beach you are at has posted any guidelines to protect the area, strictly follow them to maintain a clean reef.
Fish Sustainably
When you fish near corals, avoid catching rare species, juveniles, and breeding pairs, and don't fish agressivly with the use of poison, blast fishing, trawling, etc.
No Coral Products
Avoid buying coral souvenirs, coral jewelry, and other coral products. If you do, make sure it was cultivated, not harvested from a reef.