Another advert to communicate the importance of preservation was the ambient advert called the “Coral Cemetery” which was done in June 2009. This advertisement was created by The Shimoni Finkelstein Draftfcb agency to advertise the Green Party. (6)The creative team produced an environmental installation of a coral cemetery, which hovered in the Northern Red Sea Beach in Israel. This giant installation consisted of seventy-five gravestones, which were placed in areas where dead coral occurred. The gravestones carried the names of coral reefs that have died in the past. It was put up during the heavy tourist season in order to show how rapidly the coral is dying. At this point seventy percent of the Northern Red Sea Beach’s coral is dead and people failed to believe this. They needed to some how convince tourists that this is in fact true and communicate to them that they play a huge roll in the corals fate. 

http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2012/06/02/1226381/302733-greenpeace.jpg

Are we doing enough about this issue? 

In general we need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that we put into the atmosphere. We need to stop leaving our rubbish around not just on beaches but anywhere. Like that campaign says it is terrible when you see our rubbish mixed with our treasure. Conservationists and environmentalists need to find ways in which they can stop run off water that is filled with toxins, from running into the ocean. The government also should be putting into place stricter laws about fishing. For instance they can be harsher as too who can get their fishing license and who can’t. They can increase fines for those who are found over fishing or causing destruction to the reef in anyway. They should increase the punishment for those who are found using any kind of poison or explosives to fish. Simple things can be done like putting up more signs warning people of the destruction or putting more dustpans on public beaches. Often people do not throw away their garbage because there are no dustpans or the dustpans are miles away. Sea patrol should be increased especially in places where the reef is. They can also limit the amount of fish, mussels and other species that allowed to be caught, and there should be someone who checks this frequently. Groups, foundations and advertising agencies must continue to spread the urgency of this problem and educate people on the matter. They must also be warned not to buy fish that is caught in unethical ways like poison or dynamite. Coral reef experts can also work on reviving the reef and stop tourists from diving in badly destroyed areas.  

In December 2009 a public awareness campaign was conducted in the Philippines by The Tbwa\santiago Mangada Puno advertising agency. The brand was Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and they were communicating the importance of coral reef preservation. One of the print advertisements shows beautiful coral clinging on to a brown glass beer bottle. The headline says, “ Deep in Philippine waters, our treasures collect our trash.” (6) The body copy then goes on to say, “In 2001 this cluster of beautiful shells were discovered clinging onto this beer bottle. The rest of our coral reefs are struggling to survive.” (6) It then asks viewers to help save a world treasure and log on onto a website. All these print adverts show a different piece of garbage like a plastic cup and a plastic bottle being held onto by coral. They also all have different interesting headlines such as  “Why do corals cling to our garbage? Because they have no choice”, and “ 90% of Philippine coral reefs have been destroyed. 10% is trying to hang on.”  (6) This beautifully crafted campaign pulled on the public’s heartstrings by combining something natural and beautiful with something man made, mass produced and ugly. 

1.     Search results for "CORAL REEFS". 2013. Search results for "CORAL REEFS". [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/search/?x=0&y=0&q=CORAL+REEFS. [Accessed 28 April 20)

http://www.fishingfury.com/ff-content/explosivefishing.jpg

Overfishing is done by divers who go down and get fish which they sell to restaurants and pet stores. (5) This does not cause to much damage if done on a small scale but unfortunately, these divers are greedy and take as many fish as they possibly can find, and often these fish are endangered or are a very rare. Divers also use poisons like cyanide, which stuns the fish and makes them a lot easier to catch. While the fish are unable to swim away the divers take tools like crowbars and rip open the reef in order to reach the fish. So the coral is both left smashed up and dead. They also use explosives, which they place in the coral. When the explosive goes off it makes a big splash and the divers go into the water and collect all the fish, which are yet again are stunned and unable to swim away. Some fish are left dead and others are left homeless with no protection of the coral.

1.    CORAL REEF DESTRUCTION AND CONSERVATION - Coral Reefs - Ocean World. 2013. CORAL REEF DESTRUCTION AND CONSERVATION - Coral Reefs - Ocean World. [ONLINE] Available at: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htm. [Accessed 28 April 2013].

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5V9n-FnAFUE1-FLDhk5QbV3_r2VwOHXuEtMT2pjMQ9SGxtJqYScHugMMgwmhcI2hnV5LL09mxC_aSdATBSh6b0SmlQZ14-v2lxvo011WWTGvqSrVc72Ka91pFKUDB9PcqA57bVKjSnVJK/s400/coral-bleaching.jpg

Coral is also incredibly sensitive when it comes to water temperature. When the oceans water temperature escalates even slightly, it can cause bleaching to occur. A study shows that in 2002 almost sixty percent of The Great Barrier Reef suffered from bleaching due to an increase in water temperature. (2) Coral is able to mend itself when it comes to short term bleaching but if the bleaching is long-drawn-out, it could be irreversible. (2) Bleaching causes the coral to lose its vivid colouring and turn to white. Warmer water also increases the algae growth that develops on the surface of the coral, which results in the death of the coral because no sun is able to reach it.

1.     Coral Reefs: the Tropical Rainforests of the Sea. 2013. Coral Reefs: the Tropical Rainforests of the Sea. [ONLINE] Available at: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/09reefs.htm. [Accessed 28 April 2013].

Coral Reefs are like the rainforests of the sea because within them lies a variety of different life forms and biodiversities. Just like rainforests, coral reefs are beautiful and precious creations that both benefit humankind in many ways. Not only is coral a home to about twenty five percent of the oceans species but it also acts as a natural barrier to protect shorelines and cities from rough waters. They also provide the civilization with fisheries, medicines and recreation as well as, perform as great tourist attractions, which ultimately boosts the countries economical strength.