Coral friendly snorkeling
From techwriting
Coral Friendly Snorkeling Tips
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Practice snorkeling and learn all that you can about coral reef environments before entering the water.
1)Do not touch, walk or stand on coral. Even slightly touching or dragging your snorkeling gear over coral can kill an entire colony.
2)Do not remove anything living or dead from the coral reefs, except recent trash.
3)Do not feed fish or other marine organisms. Fish can become dependent on food being given to them instead of naturally foraging for food for themselves.
4)Be aware of where you enter and exit when snorkeling to avoid stepping on coral.
5)Try to step on sand and gravel around the coral without disturbing it.
6) Keep your fins from kicking up sand or harming coral. Stirred up sand can block sunlight from getting to the zooxanthellae- the algae living in corals that provides nutrients for the coral through photosynthesis.
7)Swim slowly and horizontally. This way you will be able to avoid touching coral by accident and getting stung by marine organisms such as fire coral or jellyfish.
8)Swim with your feet, not your hands. Consider wearing a flotation device if you are a new swimmer or are likely to get tired of swimming.
9)When on a snorkeling excursion, make sure the boat uses established moorings- anchors and chains can kill corals. Also make sure all garbage is stowed away on board.
Sources:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2009/08/reefer_sadness.html
http://www.npca.org/marine_and_coastal/coral_reefs/snorkeling.html
http://www.cobsea.org/activities/activities_strategic_habitat.html
