Conservation Spotlight: 70 percent of Japan’s largest coral reef has died

Global warming and rising sea temperatures can have a devastating effect on the marine environment. Reefs in Japan have seen beaching and dying corals due to these rising temperatures.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] courtesy of wetpixel.com[/caption]

Japan’s largest coral reef is dying due to rising sea temperatures. Over 90 percent of corals on Japan’s Sekiseishoko reef in the Ryukyu Islands, near Okinawa, have some bleaching and 70 percent of the corals have died overall. The reef was surveyed in November and December by Japan’s Environment ministry. The bleaching is the worst in the recorded history of the reef and is due to rising sea temperatures.

The water temperature for the summer months this past year was 1 to 2 degrees Celsius higher than last summer.

Read the full article here. 70 percent of Japan’s largest coral reef has died

Japan's Coral Reefs

Here is footage of some of the coral reefs that can be explored around the Japanese coastline, here is Yonehara Beach, Japan ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo7KVH0ZFGY

and here is some great footage of the coral reefs on Taketomi Island ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iRi63hCz-I

 

 

The article Conservation Spotlight: 70 percent of Japan’s largest coral reef has died was first published on Florida Scuba Diving