I Can’t Believe This Will Be Gone

Today, I saw one of the most beautiful reefs of my life.

Raja Ampat is located in the heart of the Coral Triangle and boasts some of the most diverse reefs in the world. More coral species than I could count sparkled in the sunlight under clear ripples as big snappers and sweetlips glided down the slope below us. And for a few moments, my heart sang! Though I should be overjoyed to see such a healthy and vibrant reef, I found myself thinking the words, “I can’t believe this will be gone soon, what a blessing to see it now.” I can’t believe this will be gone soon. Is there a more devastating reaction to seeing something beautiful? I will probably have to watch this die in my lifetime and there is nothing meaningful I can do about it.

How do we come to terms with loss? In some ways, I take solace in knowing that it won’t be gone, it will just be different. This reef, like many others, may someday be a thriving community of macroalgae. Ecological phase shifts become the new norm, less diversity, less fish, plastic and oil coating the surface - this has become my expectation. Even here, in Raja Ampat, you have to wait for the plastic to float out of the way before jumping into the water. A few Acropora were beginning to show signs of slight bleaching or fading, and there were no sharks present, but still, I would consider this reef to be healthy from my visual/observational survey of the world’s reefs. Its not more beautiful than what coral reefs used to be, its just one of the last ones standing. 

The other day someone told me that he had never seen a living reef, he had gotten there too late to see one alive. I asked him how he knows what a living reef looks like, and he said from watching nature documentaries and seeing photos. Wow! To never know the feeling of being immersed in biodiversity, to be one with beauty, to cry into your mask, and to know what you’re missing out on. This is our future if we don’t do something now.

But really, we are just ok with loosing whole coral reefs? How embarrassing. What a devastating reality that we are globally facing. It’s not only reefs and fish, but the people who rely on them for food, livelihoods and culture. 

Here I am, writing a reef’s epitaph before it’s gone. In reality, there is still so much we can do. By focusing on conserving fish populations, we can make sure that there are enough predators to regulate lower trophic levels that allow grazers to remove algae from reefs. Working with fisherfolk to not only create regulations that protect reefs, but to help them to brace for change.  We have the opportunity now to prepare ourselves for a massive loss of biodiversity. We can make either make reefs more resilient and alleviate as much human suffering as possible, or say goodbye to biodiversity and culture. 

Anyways, help us out! We’re trying to collect the data needed to save reefs and help coastal communities as our climate changes.