Did You Know?!

Climate change is one of the greatest global threats to coral reef ecosystems today.  Coral bleaching rates have spiked, as well as the number of infectious diseases. Bleaching is when the These coral have lost their symbiotic Zooxanthellae, which are the symbiotic algae that live in the hard or stony corals in nature as well as the reef aquarium, due to heat stress, causing them to appear white (2). Additionally, carbon dioxide absorbed into the ocean from the atmosphere has already begun to reduce calcification rates in reef-building and reef-associated organisms by altering sea water chemistry through decreases in pH, which causes ocean acidification. If there is a failure to address carbon emissions, the impacts of rising temperatures, and ocean acidification could make many other coral ecosystem protection, basically, pointless. Much of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere dissolves into the ocean. In fact, the oceans have absorbed about 1/3 of the carbon dioxide produced from human activities since 1800 and about 1/2 of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. As carbon dioxide in the ocean increases, ocean pH decreases, making it become more acidic. With ocean acidification, corals cannot absorb the calcium carbonate they need to maintain their skeletons and they will dissolve. Already, ocean acidification has lowered the pH of the ocean by about 0.11 units, making the ocean's acidity to a current pH of 8.069, which means the ocean is about 30% more acidic now than it was in 1751. If nothing is done to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, ocean acidification will increase and more and more corals will be damaged or destroyed.

So why are coral reefs so important? Snails, clams, and urchins also make calcium carbonate shells and ocean acidification negatively impacts these organisms as well. Just like corals, ocean acidification makes it harder for these organisms to absorb the calcium carbonate they need to build their shells (1). The coral bleaching also makes it harder for fish to live in the reefs. Most of the brightly colored fish you see in the coral reefs are there to live in the colored coral to hide from predators. Likewise, bleaching causes the algae many organisms use as a food source to die off, leaving them desperate to find a new home.

Climate change also affects the coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, with much more intense weather. Flood plumes and cyclone Yasi affected very large areas of coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Cyclone damage was both severe and widespread, and approximately 6 of the reef area in the Marine Park suffered severe damage, with broken corals reported across an area exceeding a little over 55,000 miles of the reef.

1.       http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/how_does_climate_change_affect_coral_reefs/

2.       http://coralreef.noaa.gov/threats/climate/

3.       http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/managing-the-reef/threats-to-the-reef/extreme-weather

Okay, so we all drink our fair share of coffee during the day. But did you know those nasty grounds leftover are actually really useful? Coffee is very aggressive, but it’s also great at cutting through grease, so you can use coffee grounds instead of your regular cleaners to scrub your pots and pans and grills! It’s also great for polishing cookware or to clean out your spotted sink. Coffee grounds are a natural deodorizer as well. Instead of buying more and more baking soda, keep some grounds in the fridge, freezer or corner of your rooms to keep it smelling yummy. You can also layer your ashtrays with a bit of coffee to eliminate that old cigarette stench, or you can rub some in to your hands before handling food, to reduce any kind of odors (so you won’t go around smelling like onions or garlic all day). If you have an ant problem, sprinkle some coffee grounds around, as they are a natural bug repellent!

Coffee grounds are really great for your gardens too. It is bio degradable and makes a great fertilizer as coffee grounds contain high magnesium, nitrogen, potassium and calcium contents. It will enrich your soil and make it more fertile, giving your plants that little extra boost! You can even mix them in with compost for added nutrition. They can be used as a natural pesticide and repellent. The odor is very strong and therefore keeps bugs at bay, but it is completely natural and safe, and therefore does not harm you or your garden in any way. Have a cat-in-your-garden problem? Keep them out of your garden by sprinkling some coffee in to the soil. It will keep cats away from your garden and will also ensure that they don’t dig or poop in your garden, because as we all know cat feces is extremely harmful for your plants. You can use coffee to kill ants outdoors also. Just sprinkle some on the soil and it will become ant free in no time!

Coffee grounds are great for the vanity too! You can actually rinse your hair with coffee to make it softer, sleeker, and shinier! Letting coffee grounds sit on your hair can also give you natural looking highlights. (DIY coffee hair rinse and scrub >>) If you have cellulite or acne, try using coffee grounds instead of those overpriced soaps from the store. To make a natural homemade coffee scrub take ground coffee (not instant coffee) in a bowl and add extra virgin coconut oil to make it into a paste and in circular motion scrub it all your face. If you don’t want to use oil then the best substitute for coconut oil is honey. You can also use coffee to exfoliate your body for a smooth and shiny skin. Simply add ground coffee to your face wash or body wash. (DIY coffee scrub) I use them in my body soap and it’s amazing!

http://www.realbeautyspot.com/genius-ways-to-recycle-used-coffee-grounds/