This World Wildlife Day, the Wild for Life campaign is excited to partner with The Ocean Agency, an organization that utilizes the power of creative collaboration to accelerate ocean conservation and climate action. To foster change, the Ocean Agency raises awareness of the ocean’s most pressing issue and inspires optimism by creating innovative solutions to these issues.
In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, the Ocean Agency has launched Glowing Glowing Gone, a creative awareness campaign that draws attention to coral fluorescence due to climate change.
Coral fluorescence, or glowing coral, is a last line of defense before coral dies and bleaches. The Ocean Agency worked with Pantone and Adobe to turn the warning colours of glowing coral into three official Pantone colours, to inspire action that everyone can use.
Through Glowing Glowing Gone, The Ocean Agency hopes to garner public support to inspire policy and funding to conserve coral reefs and save an ecosystem on which our entire planet depends.
Richard Vevers, Chief Executive Officer of The Ocean Agency, shares his insights on why we should care about coral reefs.
Why are coral reefs important for marine life and the environment?
Coral reefs support a quarter of all marine lifean estimated 1 to 9 million species. They are like underwater cities’. These cities dwarf those built by humans and are critically important in the life cycle of so many speciesfrom the smallest to the largestacting as nurseries, sources of food, cleaning stations and breeding grounds.
What benefits do coral reefs provide for humans?
Coral reefs provide half a billion people with food security and livelihoods. They are essential to sustaining healthy fisheries, which is the number one protein source for 3 billion people worldwide. Additionally, thanks to coral reefs, fisheries and tourism generate hundreds of billions of dollars per year for the global economy. They also protect coastlines from increasing damage by buffering shorelines against waves, storms and floods, which helps to prevent loss of life, property damage and erosion.
United Nations Environment Programme