NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program: Protect Coral Reefs

Coral Reef Resource Roundup CD 2008:

Posters

These posters were created to celebrate International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 2008). Each poster image is accompanied by a summary of the text on the poster, or a description of the poster.

		International Year of the Reef 2008 (571 kb) IYOR 2008 is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability, and to motivate people to take action to protect them. All individuals, corporations, governments, schools and organizations are welcome and actively encouraged to participate in IYOR 2008. This poster also includes a list of things you can do to protect coral reefs and the reasons why you should.

		International Year of the Reef 2008: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Coral Food Web (571 kb) This poster visually depicts the coral reef food web in the Northern Mariana Islands. This poster also includes labels for each species depicted and a description of how symbiotic algae within coral polyps play into the food web.

		Every Act Counts: Long-lasting Light Bulbs are a Bright Idea (571 kb) If every household in the U.S. replaced a burned-out bulb with an energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that from at least 800,000 cars. Climate change is one of the leading threats to coral reef survival, so let your conservation light shine.

		Every Act Counts: Corals are Already a Gift, Don't Give Them as Presents (571 kb) Corals are popular as souvenirs, for home decor and in costume jewelry, yet corals are living animals that eat, grow and reproduce. It takes corals decades or longer to create reef structures, so leave corals and other marine life on the reef.

		Every Act Counts: It Stinks to Send Chemicals into Our Waterways (571 kb) The chemicals we use to clean our houses and beautify our lawns end up in our waterways and are carried to the oceans. Just one pound of phosphorus in water produces an estimated five hundred pounds of algae, blocking sunlight and starving coral reefs. Do your part by using naturally-derived and biodegradable detergents and cleaning products. Outside the house, minimize the impacts of fertilizer by using zero-phosphorus products or no more than one pound per 1,000 square feet of turf area for nitrogen (you need just half that amount in shade).

		Every Act Counts: Don't Drag the Reef into This (571 kb) Use reef mooring buoys when available. Or, anchor in sandy areas away from coral and sea grasses so that anchor and chain do not drag on nearby corals or tear up sea grass beds. Once broken, corals can take decades or longer to redevelop, and a damaged reef is less able to provide food, habitat and shoreline protection.

		Every Act Counts: The Ocean Floor is Not a Dance Floor (571 kb) Coral reefs are alive. Stirred-up sediment can smother corals, and each inch of reef can take decades to redevelop once broken. Divers and snorkelers can do their part by maintaining proper buoyancy control, never touching reefs and spreading the word about coral reef stewardship.