ROOM LIST

One Drop

  • Coral ecosystems make up less than 1% of the ocean floor yet are home to over 25% of all marine wildlife.
  • While you may think of coral as exclusively tropical reefs, more than half of all known coral species are deep and cold-water corals.
  • Canada has several cold-water coral habitats, with sites off the coasts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, and British Columbia.
  • Cold-water coral reefs serve as a home for thousands of known sea animals and possibly millions of undiscovered species, making them one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems.
  • Far from sunlight and hundreds to thousands of meters deep in the ocean, these cold-water corals have lifespans that can span centuries.
  • Climate change, oil and gas exploration, and overfishing severely threaten Canada’s cold-water corals.
  • As humans pump more carbon into the atmosphere, our oceans become more acidic, hampering corals’ ability to grow.
  • The effects of oil and gas exploration, from contaminated drill bits to oil leaks, can also significantly contaminate cold-water corals.
  • Most disturbingly, unsustainable fishing practices like bottom trawling can decimate coral habitats. When disturbed by bottom trawling, up to 90% of a coral colony perishes.
  • Fortunately, cold-water corals have the ability to recover. However due to their slow growth rates, some as little as 3 mm per year, they need decades to start regenerating.
  • This is why the establishment of permanent marine protected areas that explicitly prohibit unsustainable fishing practices and oil and gas exploration are so crucial.
  • Choose sustainably sourced seafood to help mitigate the major threat that overfishing poses to Canada’s cold-water corals. Pacific Cod, Monkfish, and Rockfish are among the many commercial fish species that live in and around cold-water corals. Check for labels or Certifications indicating the seafood was responsibly harvested.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint. Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing ocean warming and acidification, which are harmful to cold water corals. Reducing your carbon footprint through energy-efficient practices, using renewable energy, and minimizing air travel can help.
  • For a more complete list of ways you can help to protect coral reefs, check out Chasing Corals’ take action page here.
Chasing Coral
Take Action
Replace chemical sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate with reef safe alternatives. These substances contain nanoparticles that can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles and ultimately cause them to bleach, destroying a coral’s ability to nourish itself and stay alive. For a more complete list of harmful chemicals found in sunscreens as well as suggestions for reef-safe brands, see below.
Ban Toxic Sunscreens
Check The List
Donate to Nature Canada to help protect Canada’s oceans, or sign up to become an Ocean Defender to help protect 25% of Canada’s ocean territory by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
Nature Canada
Donate
Nature Canada
Sign Up
Join Only One’s membership program to help grow coral and protect the ocean, and sign Only One’s petition demanding world leaders live up to their commitment of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
Only One
Become a Member
Only One
Sign Their Petition
Coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine life and contain millions of undiscovered species. They are biodiversity hotspots, unmatched in species per area. More than just ecological treasures, coral reefs underpin the livelihood of more than 500 million people globally. However, despite their profound importance, 70% of the world’s reefs are currently threatened. The world has already lost half of its coral reefs since 1950, and scientific estimates suggest that we may lose them all by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.
The degradation of reefs doesn’t just mean losing biodiversity; it could directly affect human health. Various drugs are derived from animals and plants found in coral reef ecosystems as possible cures for cancer, arthritis, and other diseases. With the current rate of degradation, such potential discoveries could be lost forever.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play an invaluable role in safeguarding the health and longevity of coral ecosystems and habitats. The vibrant, intricate biodiversity found within these areas is highly susceptible to threats such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. MPAs effectively mitigate these pressures by regulating human activities in these regions. They serve as sanctuaries where coral ecosystems can regenerate and thrive.
Given the vital role that coral reefs play in our ecosystems, and the urgent threat they face, it is critical to take action to protect them before it's too late. MPAs are integral in safeguarding coral ecosystems and habitats, ensuring their survival for future generations.