Coral reefs are under attack - by us!

Catch Coral Reef Adventure, now playing under our IMAX Dome. Sponsored at this theatre by:   Shell Canada Shell is proud to present MacGillivray Freeman's Coral Reef Adventure at the Ontario Science Centre. While this film takes place in environments most of us have never experienced, the issues of global warming and climate change affect us all, wherever we live. At Shell, we're reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations through energy efficiency projects and have established the Shell Canada Climate Change Advisory Panel as part of our commitment to sustainable development. We hope this film will inspire you to take action as well. Here's what you can do to help.

by Laura Murray - Researcher/Programmer, Environmental Sciences
February, 2004

Corals are tiny plant-like animals that depend on clean, clear waters and sunlight to grow. These corals gradually build skeletons that shape the reef, transforming it into an enormous structure that exists for thousands of years. These coral reef structures – Earth’s great underwater forests – are a key part of our planet’s ecosystem. They nurture one-quarter of the world’s marine life, supply hundreds of millions of humans with food and resources, harbour potentially life-saving natural chemicals, and protect coastal communities from damage.

But climate change, particularly global warming – the result of the buildup of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) – along with pollution, overfishing and overuse, threaten to destroy these valuable reefs. Already, about 30 percent worldwide have been damaged – and another 60 percent could disappear in the next quarter century unless swift action is taken. Scientific communities and organizations around the globe are seeking to save the reefs from further degradation, but concerned individuals can make a big difference. Here’s what you can do to save energy…and the reefs.