It’s hard not to get depressed about what is happening to our planet – mostly due to human activity. Between oil spills, the reduction of sharks worldwide to the tune of 90-% to satisfy those seeking status particularly in China, global warming spelling the death of many of the world’s coral reefs, and so on. My grandchildren visited me this week and I wondered if they will get a chance to experience the natural beauty of the Earth that those of my generation have.

Those of us in this hobby have a special link to Nature; a link that gives us an intimate understanding and appreciation for the concentration life in and around coral reefs. We struggle to keep these creatures flourishing in our reef tanks, and many of us have dived some of the ocean’s coral reefs. We have experienced their almost magical beauty, but also their fragility. It is for good reason that corals have been referred to as the canaries of the sea.

The pressing question is what can we do to save the Earth that we love? Unfortunately, it seems a Sisyphean task, but if we don’t try, who will, certainly not the necrophiles of the world who care only for video games and shopping malls.

I would like to hear from our readers with suggestions that might lead to beneficial action.

What will our world be like without these beautiful creatures????????????????