The world's marine ecosystem is dying. It's easy to feel helpless in the face of Global Warming, but one of the best things you can contribute is your voice.

I recently watched Chasing Coral, a documentary about coral bleaching. It was a heavy topic that left me feeling hopeless. So much of the problem is in the hands of big corporations - what could I possibly contribute? Ultimately, I realised that one of the best things I can contribute is my voice.

What is Coral Bleaching?

Coral Bleaching is a phenomenon where large numbers of coral turn white then die. It's caused by the water becoming too hot for coral to handle. It's a new phenomenon that has become more frequent and severe in recent years due to global warming, which in turn is caused by excess CO2 in the atmosphere.

We know global warming is already happening, and this has been proven again and again. The only question that remains is how bad will it be - bad or very bad? Over the last 30 years about half the world's coral has already disappeared. Without changes, in another 30 years 90% of all coral in the world will be dead from coral bleaching. A third of the great barrier reef has already died, and the damage is visible from space.

Coral is as important to the oceans as trees are to the forests. As coral dies, so do fish and other marine life. Coastal cities relying on seafood to live will see massive food shortages. And that's without considering other effects of global warming.

What can we do?

Spread the word. This problem has to be solved by governments and corporations, and they won't care unless we do. The more we talk about it, the more likely they will listen.