And remember that conservation of coral reefs means support for all of the species that live there, even if they aren’t fish! Photo courtesy of USFWS
Over the last few weeks, I’ve described some of the big challenges facing reef fish and the coral reefs they inhabit- some of those issues are very big, such as the scale of climate change and ocean acidification, and some of those issues occur on a much smaller scale, such as when fishermen use cyanide to stun fish for capture. While we may not be able to turn back the clock on all of these issues, there are things we can each do to help support these fish and their homes.
In your daily life
- Be sure to eat sustainable seafood and make sure the fish you put in your aquarium have been farmed rather than caught in the wild
- Check out the Nature Conservancy’s 10 Steps to Protect Reefs
If you want to support conservation efforts from a distance
- Consider signing the petitions at the Australian Marine Conservation Society or the Wilderness Conservation Society
- You can donate to organizations like Defenders of Wildlife, WWF, and UNESCO’s program to protect the Great Barrier Reef
If you’d like to get more directly involved, there are lots of options- some of these involve scuba diving, but some organizations will train you-
- REEF is looking for divers to submit data for the Volunteer Fish Survey Project
- Florida FWC has an artificial reef program and a Gulf Reef Fish Survey
- the Coral Reef Alliance and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program are looking for volunteers
- the Marine Conservation Society has dive surveys and other ways to report wildlife sightings
- with the Coral Restoration Foundation you can volunteer for water or land work
- Reef Check has both volunteer opportunities and ecoexpeditions if you’re planning a vacation this winter
So there are lots of ways we can all get involved in reef fish conservation- hopefully you can find something that matches your available time and interests- and don’t forget about volunteering with a local aquarium- educating the public is a great way to expand conservation efforts!