Corals: The planet’s lungs

3 min readFeb 19, 2022

Forests and jungles produce part of the oxygen on earth. A large percentage of the population believes that it is the main source of oxygen, but this statement makes no physical sense. Of the total oxygen only between 9% and 16% is produced by forests and jungles. When contrasting this data with popular belief, a question comes to mind: what is the “lung” of the planet; nothing could be further from the truth, approximately 50% to 85% of the oxygen we breathe comes from coral reefs.

Coral reefs are an underwater ecosystem composed of: coral skeletons, algae, mollusks and other living things. In this biological system, specifically the phytoplankton, which is the base of the food chain, absorbs carbon dioxide and through the process of photosynthesis, expels it to the outside in the form of oxygen.

That is why, although it is true that terrestrial ecosystems are an important element for life on earth, coral reefs are undoubtedly the main responsible for us to breathe, thanks to their ability to release the essential oxygen to the atmosphere.

Corals vs climate change

Climate change is a great threat to the life of coral reefs, since the increase in water temperature causes alterations in their natural habitat, which leads to their endangered status.

The ideal temperature for a coral reef should be between 18°C and 30°C. An increase of just 1°C (above the maximum summer temperature) endangers the life of this fundamental structure. Although studies have been conducted to determine whether coral is capable of adapting to higher temperatures, so far, there is no one that affirms this fact, it can even be concluded that for coral to adapt to other temperatures, it would have to be a natural process of its own evolution, which would take hundreds of years.

As a consequence of climate change, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching” is generated, which is a condition that consists in the expulsion of the microorganism that gives color to the coral, called zooxanthellae, making it become whiter or clearer, if the zooxanthellae do not return to the coral tissues, the coral dies.

Now, what can we do to mitigate the effects of climate change on coral reefs?Some of the behaviors we can adopt to protect the life of coral reefs include:

Recycle and dispose of garbage properly, especially plastic, thus reducing the risk of this type of material reaching river currents and oceans.

Avoid excessive use of fertilizers, the main components of these substances are phosphorus and nitrogen, chemicals that can contaminate the habitat of coral reefs.
Use environmentally friendly means of transportation such as bicycles or electric cars. This change will be reflected in the minimization of CO2 emissions, a gas that contributes to the increase in ocean temperatures.
Being a sustainable consumer: Try to use as few products as possible; Give these products a second chance, i.e., reuse them; Properly dispose of the products that we use.

Sources:

Corals: The planet’s lungs

Corals vs climate change

Written by Floating Heads