Coral reefs- a laborious product of nature provides a home to millions of marine species. But nature’s homes are now on the verge of extinction. This is especially alarming as it takes 100 years for one coral to grow one inch- once destroyed, they cannot be recovered.
Mainly distributed along the southeastern part of the Arabian Sea, the coral reefs in Pakistan lodge many vertebrate and invertebrate species of animals. The biodiversity of this crucial constituent of the marine ecosystem is at risk, mainly due to the human acts of pollution and nature’s acts of destruction. Till 1988, it was thought that the coasts of Pakistan did not provide favorable conditions for the growth and formation of coral reefs and because of this, it was believed back then that they were absent from Pakistan’s seas. A 1986 Report of UNEP notes:
“The coastal environment of Pakistan at present is not conducive to the healthy growth and formation of coral reefs and as such coral reefs are not at present found in Pakistan.”
Work on the taxonomy of corals commenced decades later in 2005, initiated by University of Karachi, which led to the classifications of previously unidentified species of Indian Corals collected from the Arabian Sea. In 2006, UK’s Millport Laboratory identified the first ever coral reef ecosystem in Pakistan, near Astola Island. In light of this discovery, Pakistan Wetlands Program together with the nation’s navy services surveyed possible coral sited in February 2011, to find a total of 17 coral species along with 25 coral associated fish species in wide areas of deep-sea corals near Gwadar. Recently, scientists have also discovered reefs at Churna (near Karachi coast), Pasni and near Jevani in Baluchistan. More coral species are expected to be discovered from the coastal line of Pakistan.
In terms of diversity, compared to other parts of the region, coral distribution and growth appear to be fairly poor in Pakistan. The Baluchistan coastline with its less population and immature tourist industry is still not at a grave risk to lose the coral beauty. Existing research and assessments of the impacts of sea rise, pollution and development activities on the species that do exist are not causes of concern at the moment.
Despite there being no risks to the corals in Pakistan, some causes of concern still exist. Different coral species are harvested from the Baluchistan coasts. These extracted reefs are then sold at Karachi’s coasts. They are used in jewelry making and sometimes even as an ingredient in local Ayurvedic medicines. The price for such harvests comes in the decline of the population and variety of the coral reefs as well as in the loss of animal species that dwell on these reefs.
If there seems to be no imminent threat to the corals in Pakistan, then what is all the fuss about?
The reason why we should constantly bear the situation of the corals in our minds is simple. Only we, as actors of change, have the power to shift the balance of nature. Today, the corals in Pakistan are not under major threat, but tomorrow they could be, if we chose actions that harm their health and survival.
We all have a part to play in saving our planet. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, our everyday actions contribute to environmental degradation. We often escape the awareness of the repercussions of our actions, which can have disastrous consequences. Today, we lay witness to visible instances of environmental degradation in the smog that wraps the biggest cities of the nation. Amid such horror, coral reef protection seems trivial by comparison. But when one ponders on the importance of such ecosystems as shelters for young fish and other marine life, as a food source for humans, as buffers protecting coasts from storm surges, and as a marine asset generating billions of dollars in tourism; we come to appreciate the crucial part this marine organism plays in sustaining the fine balance of nature.
The climate change is already working against the sustainability of the coral reef and the actions of humans are making further exasperating a global problem. Corals worldwide are being bleached and killed by the warm waters from climate change. Half of the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached to death since 2016, with another 20% bleached in 2017.
We have a greater battle to fight in our conservation of coral ecosystems as our nation suffers on two fronts-in its lack of awareness of nature’s gifts, and in its utterly haphazard and inconsiderate policy making. In order to conserve and protect our marine life at a federal level, we can start by subjecting our chemical and manufacturing units to stricter standards for emissions and waste. These standards would also make no difference if no follow up checks are put into place to ensure implementation of protocols. It is important that such checks are kept up and carried out quickly in order to avert any irrevocable damage. Furthermore, there is a need to address the exploitation of marine resources and the intervention of the local governments could help to provide greater transparency at ground level.
At a personal level, we all can play a part in protecting our marine life. We can start making a change in our own capacities through their lifestyle choices. Some environmentally conscious habits we can develop include conserving water, eradicating the use of plastics, choosing to eat sustainable seafood, avoid touching and pick corals from the reef, and volunteering to clean local beach or even your neighborhood areas.
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