This area of more than 2 million miles of marine landscape, the Coral Triangle is located in the western Pacific ocean and houses more than 75% of the world’s species of coral. This area is home to more than 600 species of live coral that build reefs, and 2,000 different types of reef fish.
Since the 1950s, scientists have shown that the population of coral reefs has been cut in half, creating a dire situation for coral and other marine wildlife. Global climate change, pollution, overfishing, coral mining and other human activities have been the main culprits for the destruction of this important landscape of the ocean.
Coral Triangle Day is here to bring light to the need for everyone, all over the world, to pay more attention and support efforts to help save this amazing area of biodiversity.
How to Celebrate Coral Triangle Day
Looking for ideas and activities to get involved with Coral Triangle Day? Check out some of these to get started with:
Learn About Ocean Conservation and the Coral Triangle
One important way that individuals, groups, businesses, and political activists can get involved with Coral Triangle Day is by becoming more knowledgeable, sharing this knowledge, and advocating on behalf of the world’s oceans. Consider some of these facts to get started with:
While they may resemble plants, coral are actually live animals that are attached to the sea floor
The Coral Triangle covers the economic zones of six countries, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Indonesia
The Coral Triangle is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles
Attend or Host a Coral Triangle Event
Check out what kind of events may be taking place in the local community for Coral Triangle Day and then consider attending one. Or, for those who don’t have any events happening locally, consider hosting one! Educational events can be fun for schools while fund-raising opportunities abound in neighborhoods and communities. From beach clean-ups to ocean documentary film festivals, this is a great time to get creative in raising awareness about the needs of the Coral Triangle!
History of Coral Triangle Day
The inaugural celebration of Coral Triangle Day took place in 2012 when it was founded through the efforts of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF). The event was purposefully set to take place one day after World Oceans Day to add impactful attention around the need to preserve and care for the world’s center for marine biodiversity. Coral Triangle Day is also part of a larger campaign called Oceans Need Action, which encourages those involved in the Coral Triangle region to address the issues of threats caused by humans.
A few of the many events that can be celebrated throughout the year along the same lines of Coral Triangle Day include World Reef Awareness Day on June 1, World Whale Day in February, and National Oceans Month in June.
