https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjkkd66874ko
'Looking out now over the Indian Ocean from Mnemba Island, it is hard to
believe that just three years ago the stunning coral reef surrounding this part
of Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago was dying.
Under threat from climate change, overfishing and other human activity, the
islanders faced losing their livelihoods and the prospect of moving away
altogether.
Anxious to save the colourful, oval-shaped reef that is fairly close to the
shore and around 7km (4.3 miles) in length, communities on the small island
have embraced a conservation project which has managed to restore some of what
has been lost.
The initiative also aims in other ways to protect the reef, which is known
around the world for its beauty.
The water is so clear that the reef, which lies 10m (32ft) below the surface,
seems almost within touching distance.
But a few years ago locals began to notice how stressed the coral was looking -
part of this was due to the changing climate, which has brought warmer sea
temperatures.
Coral may look like a plant, but it is a kind of animal - in fact multiple tiny
creatures called polyps. They grow very slowly and make a hard outer shell by
extracting salt from seawater, then fuse together to make what are called
colonies.
Reefs are sometimes referred to as the "rainforests of the sea” because they
create ecosystems that support a diverse range of marine life.
But when the water heats up by a few degrees more than normal it causes the
coral to drive out the brightly coloured algae that live within and provide
nutrients. As the algae leave, the coral fades, becomes bleached and eventually
dies.
Dynamite being used by fishermen has also been killing off the coral, as well
as the volume of unregulated tourist boats and divers causing damage to the
reef.
Mnemba Island fishmonger Juma Mshindan says it became clear something was very
wrong: “There is a significant difference in the availability of fish before
compared to now. In the past, fish were plentiful.”
The sustainable tourism group &Beyond and non-profit organisation Africa
Foundation began collaborating with islanders in September 2021 to help address
some of these issues.'
Via
Fix the News:
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https://fixthenews.com/good-news-sleeping-sickness-chad-forests-ukraine-amur-leopards-in-siberia/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
