{"id":7048,"date":"2023-11-03T13:54:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coral.org\/?p=7048"},"modified":"2023-11-03T13:55:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:55:50","slug":"the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Annual Coral Bleaching Awareness Month Kicks off in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hey there, ocean lovers! This week marked a significant milestone in the world of marine conservation as the first-ever Coral Bleaching Awareness Month. <em>About time, huh?<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Life is Better in Color<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I think we can all agree our oceans are more beautiful and beneficial when corals are vibrant, bustling ecosystems. When they\u2019re at their peak, coral reefs support countless species (including humans) and provide essential ecosystem services such as shoreline protection, fisheries, and carbon sequestration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative aims to dispel a common misconception about coral bleaching \u2013 bleached corals aren&#8217;t always dead corals. In fact, with proper conditions, corals can recover and adapt\u2026<em>if we let them<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coral Bleaching Awareness Month 2023 - Life is Better in Color\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y7FbjQ8JXcw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our research shows these two key factors aid in the survival of coral reefs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Securing clean water<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-vital-link-why-water-quality-matters-for-coral-reefs\/\"><em>See Also: Why Water Quality Matters for Coral Reefs<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Healthy fish populations<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/guardians-of-the-reef-the-importance-of-herbivore-fish-in-coral-reef-health\/\"><em>See Also: The Importance of Herbivore Fish in Coral Reef Health<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand how these elements are interconnected, check out our detailed articles linked above on the importance of clean water for reefs and the beautiful relationship between herbivores and corals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bottom line: We can do something about this bleaching crisis, but we need YOUR HELP in raising awareness, action, and support.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can You Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, here comes the fun part \u2013 you can join us in our mission and make an impact! Here are several ways you can contribute to Coral Bleaching Awareness Month and support our cause:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Visit CoralBleaching.com<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything we talk about here (and more) can be found on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.coralbleaching.com\">www.coralbleaching.com<\/a> &#8211; take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Share the Coral Bleaching: Toolkit &amp; Comprehensive Guide<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a critical resource for anyone on the frontlines of coral bleaching and anyone looking to help. Complete with an overview, a breakdown of monitoring methods, a checklist, adaptability information, and other ways to help, this guide is a wealth of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">\u201cBleach\u201d Your Logo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Show your solidarity for coral reefs by bleaching your logos with us! It&#8217;s a powerful visual statement that signifies your commitment to coral conservation. Plus, it strengthens the movement. More info can be found here: <a href=\"http:\/\/go.coral.org\">go.coral.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"273\" src=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Bleach-Your-Logo-With-Us.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Bleach-Your-Logo-With-Us.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Bleach-Your-Logo-With-Us-796x217.jpg 796w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Bleach-Your-Logo-With-Us-768x210.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Spread the Word<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you on social media? Share our posts, infographics, and articles about coral bleaching. If you need images to share, you can find them here: <a href=\"http:\/\/go.coral.org\">go.coral.org<\/a> Let your friends and followers know why corals are so important and how they can help protect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not on social media? How about email or text? Send your family, friends, and coworkers a friendly note and link to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.coralbleaching.com\">www.coralbleaching.com<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Share Helpful Resources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you a diver or know someone who is? We&#8217;ve created a comprehensive checklist tailored for dive shops and tour operators. It\u2019s got everything they need to know about what to do before, during, and after a bleaching event. Share this information within the diving community to ensure responsible diving practices that minimize stress on coral reefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Wear Proper Sunscreen<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, don\u2019t forget to wear sunscreen! Even if you\u2019re in a landlocked location, opt for reef-safe options to keep your skin happy without harming our underwater friends. <a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/sunscreen-101-protecting-your-skin-and-coral-reefs\/\">Check out our favorite sunscreen brands that are eco-friendly and coral-safe.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Donate to Our Work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Every little bit counts! Your donations help fund research, conservation projects on the ground and in the water, and educational initiatives that keep our oceans and corals thriving. <a href=\"https:\/\/give.coral.org\/give\/513656\/#!\/donation\/checkout?c_src=WHITEOUTBLOG\">So, if you can spare the cost of your next coffee or tea, we\u2019ll be forever grateful.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-dark-gray-color has-text-color\">Help Fight Climate Change<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re hardly the experts here, so take a simple solution from this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change_talk_about_it?language=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TEDx by Katherine Hayhoe<\/a>, Canadian atmospheric scientist, studying climate change, one of the most pressing issues we face today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Coral-Bleaching-Awareness-1024x380.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Coral-Bleaching-Awareness-1024x380.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Coral-Bleaching-Awareness-796x295.jpg 796w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Coral-Bleaching-Awareness-768x285.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Coral-Bleaching-Awareness.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s time to make some waves and protect our beautiful coral reefs. Coral Bleaching Awareness Month isn\u2019t just a hashtag, it\u2019s a movement! This is a call to action for individuals, communities, and businesses to come together and protect our coral reefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By spreading awareness, adopting responsible practices, and supporting initiatives like ours, we can ensure a brighter future for coral reefs and the countless species that depend on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us in this crucial mission, and together, let&#8217;s make a lasting impact on the health and vitality of our oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885\" id=\"hs-cta-fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/39879831\/fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/39879831\/fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885.png\"  alt=\"New call-to-action\"\/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(39879831, 'fd81ab26-82ee-4037-963b-63eff3d32885', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey there, ocean lovers! This week marked a significant milestone in the world of marine conservation as the first-ever Coral Bleaching Awareness Month. About time, huh?&nbsp; Life is Better in Color I think we can all agree our oceans are more beautiful and beneficial when corals are vibrant, bustling ecosystems. When they\u2019re at their peak,&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue Reading &#8594;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_genesis_transparent_header":false,"_genesis_hide_siblings_nav":false,"_genesis_hide_flyout":false,"_genesis_subtitle":"","_genesis_subheading":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7048","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-coral-updates","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"template_part":"\n<article class=\"article article-post post-7048 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail category-coral-updates entry\">\n\t<div class=\"entry-image\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023\/\">\n\t\t\t<img width=\"740\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Life-is-Better-than-Color-White-Header-2-740x560.jpg\" class=\"attachment-preview size-preview wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"post-categories\">\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/category\/coral-updates\/\" rel=\"category tag\">CORAL Updates<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"entry-body\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023\/\" class=\"entry-title-link\">The First Annual Coral Bleaching Awareness Month Kicks off in 2023<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<p>Hey there, ocean lovers! This week marked a significant milestone in the world of marine conservation as the first-ever Coral Bleaching Awareness Month. About time, huh?&nbsp; Life is Better in Color I think we can all agree our oceans are more beautiful and beneficial when corals are vibrant, bustling ecosystems. When they\u2019re at their peak,&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/the-first-annual-coral-bleaching-awareness-month-kicks-off-in-2023\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue Reading &#8594;<\/a><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Life-is-Better-than-Color-White-Header-2-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Life-is-Better-than-Color-White-Header-2-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Kate Beebe","author_link":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/author\/kate\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Life-is-Better-than-Color-White-Header-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}