Coral Reefs – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

Coral: Diversity in Danger

March 25th, 2016tinalc0 Comments

Occupying less than one percent of the Earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean floor, it would be easy to overlook the significance of coral. In fact, 25% of all marine species depend on coral reefs for survival. In addition, for humans, coral provides shoreline protection, medicine, food, and an incentive for ecotourism to the sum of ~$50 million annually. Coral belong to the phylum Cnideria; closely related to sea anemones and jellyfish. Although they begin their lives as mobile medusa, they spend their adulthood as sessile polyps. Coral secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard exoskeleton …

A New Year of Hope for Wildlife Conservation

January 1st, 2016tinalc0 Comments

Another year has come and gone. Like those years preceding, 2015 has witnessed both heartbreak and achievements in conservation. As we reflect back, it is important to find the positive in the saddest of situations, learn from them, and apply the knowledge gained to help in the new year. The death of the King of Hwange, Cecil, brought trophy hunter to center stage. Through his tragic end, Cecil became a voice for Lions. Not only did the world listen they too spoke out asking how and why this could have happened. Demanding justice. In response, the United States listed one …

The Ocean: Where Life Begins and Ends

September 25th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

The ocean, for most, represents a great blue void. It is sometimes hard to imagine that an incredible world, much larger than the space terrestrial beings inhabit, lies beyond the shoreline and below the surface. The Censes of Marine Life, completed in 2010 by 2,700 scientists from 80 countries, identified more than 1 million species that call the ocean home. In addition, researchers feel that despite their great accomplishment, 50-80% of the species inhabiting the sea surrounding South Africa, Antarctica, Japan, the Mediterranean, and Australia are yet to be discovered. The ocean covers 71% of Earth’s surface and holds 97% …