Here Are 15 Actions You Can Take to Protect and Preserve Coral Reefs
DO A BEACH CLEANUP & RECYCLE
Volunteer for a local beach cleanup or do your own. Tons of litter and plastics end up in the ocean, harming coral reefs, sea turtles and birds. Implement the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (plastics, glass, aluminum and paper) both at home and at work. Overproduction of plastics and human pollution are detrimental to all marine life.
BUY A SUPER CORAL BRACELET OR DONATE
Wear a bracelet that makes an impact! Our special edition Super Coral bracelet is recycled from fishing nets found abandoned in the ocean that are harmful to coral and marine life. 100% of the proceeds of the bracelet will fund critical ocean conservation projects and coral restoration efforts on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
AVOID MICROBEADS
Microbeads are tiny plastics that absorb toxins and end up in oceans, harming marine life. Skip products that use microbeads found in facial scrubs, body washes and exfoliants. Avoid labels with:
Polyethylene (PE)
Polypropylene (PP)
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Nylon (PA)
SAY NO TO SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
Refuse plastic straws in restaurants, as these often find their way into the oceans, killing marine life. You can also carry a reusable tumbler to avoid using disposable cups, as well as, alternatives to plastic cutlery, plates and so much more.
APPLY REEF-SAFE SUNSCREEN
Sunscreens with ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate are toxic to coral and contribute to coral bleaching. Use non-nano mineral sunscreens that contain particle sizes 100 nanometers or larger, which are safer for coral.
RIDE A BIKE
INSTEAD OF DRIVING
Opt to ride a bike instead of driving a car. You can significantly reduce the amount of CO2 emissions going into the environment and get in shape at the same time. Emissions from automobiles remains high on the human pollution list.
CARRY REUSABLE BAGS
Stop using one-time plastic bags. Plastic bags pollute the oceans for 10-100 years before breaking down into toxic microplastics that kill 100,000 marine animals every year. Instead, bring your own reusable bags the next time you go to the supermarket.
EAT MORE VEGGIES
Limit your meat consumption as the amount we eat is too much for our planet to sustain. Raising cows, pigs and chickens generates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all automobiles combined, while forests have been cut down for grazing pastures. Forests are needed to absorb harmful CO2 gases from the atmosphere, which are otherwise absorbed by the oceans, harming reefs.
USE LED LIGHT BULBS & SWITCH OFF LIGHTS
Convert to LED light bulbs, which save 6 tons of household emissions per year and is equivalent to reducing your gas consumption by 700 gallons. The more we lower our emissions the better it is for our environment and ocean life. Turn off light switches when you leave the room and unplug all electronic devices not in use and already charged.
TURN ON EFFICIENT THERMOSTATS
Reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 1,400 lbs by nearly 1,400 lbs by using a thermostat with an eco-friendly mode or manually setting your temperature up to 4°F, in the summer and down 8°F in winter, when you're not home. Wear layers of clothing to adjust for cold or heat.
TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR CARPOOL
Try public transportation, carpooling or ride share services instead of driving your own car to reduce emissions by 34% a year per household. Commuting by bus, train or metro saves 4,800 lbs. of CO2 per person per year. More cars on the road mean more air pollutants, which accelerates global warming and damages coral reefs.
LOWER THE TEMPERATURE
ON WATER HEATERS
Lower your water heater temperature to 120˚F to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 550 lbs. per year.
DRIVE AN ELECTRIC OR HYBRID CAR
Switch to a more environmentally friendly vehicle that emits less CO2 than automobiles using gasoline. On average, both electric and hybrid vehicles can emit up to 50% less greenhouse gas than gasoline-powered ones over the lifetime of the vehicle.
USE SOLAR PANELS & RENEWABLE ENERGY
Ask your power company to use renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and more. Using solar energy could prevent billions of tons of CO2 emissions into the air. Solar energy uses less water than fossil fuels and is sustainable.
SUPPORT ECO-FRIENDLY COMPANIES
Buy from companies that are taking part in eco-friendly initiatives. See our corporate partners page for companies that are joining the movement.
We Can All Make a Difference. It's Our Home, Our Planet to Look After.
