We Are Fighting To Preserve Our Coral Reefs

Did you know that coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet? That's partly why they're so attractive to scuba divers, snorkelers, and underwater photographers. But these peaceful reefs are under attack by a force more powerful than any speargun or shark - plastic pollution caused by humans!

One of the world’s richest coral reef systems, here in Egypt, has found itself under attack, threatened by developments to both its physical structure and its surrounding environment. Damage to coral reefs is rife worldwide, with many ecosystems in danger of disappearing altogether. As climate change threatens the depths in which they grow, sea-levels rise due to global warming, pollution to their nutrients seeps in, and invasive predators find their way in, destroying what was once a welcoming environment.

Single-use plastic is a huge threat! Is it possible to ban it?

Single use plastics are increasingly used and very harmful to our health and the environment. When we use single use plastics we forget that they were made of oil and that they eventually turn into micro plastics and end up in the oceans. There is a clear relation between the destruction of the corals in Egypt especially in the Red Sea by plastic pollution and fish migration to European shores. We need to ban single use plastics in Egypt before it's too late!

It’s easier said than done, though. Egyptians use an estimated twelve billion un-recyclable plastic bags every year.

Eating and drinking by the beach is common in Egypt,  which means that disposable containers are very convenient.  This is made easier by the existence of small takeaway shops everywhere you go. There is no lack of polystyrene food containers, plastic cutlery and juice bags, which often find their way in the Red Sea.

It is true that many people think they can do nothing to help this mess. However, the opposite is true that every person’s action counts. Every person may not be able to ban single-use plastic completely however we can always be part of preserving the red sea and the marine animals we have.