What are coral reefs? Why are they in danger? and how can you help them?
By: Dominic Bryant
Tags: Stoicism, Coral Reefs, Climate Change, Conservation, Nature

The Ocean is the life blood of planet Earth and coral reef ecosystems are a vital organ for life on this planet, but Coral Reef ecosystems are in danger and need our help.

Corals live by the rules of nature in a world that is now governed by the “unnatural appetites” of humans in the epoch known as the Anthropocene. As Ward Farnsworth explains in his 2018 book “The Practicing Stoic”; we crave ‘natural appetites’ such as hunger, which is finite and the measure of which is clear. But, we also crave “unnatural appetites” towards desires for things that are out of our control, we don’t need, and that can never be fully satisfied. This includes desire for wealth, status, and material objects that serve no real purpose in life.

“The laws of nature teach us what we legitimately need. The sages tell us that no one is poor according to Nature; everyone is poor according to opinion. They distinguish skillfully between desires that come from Nature and desires arising from our disordered imaginations. The desires that have limits come from nature. the ones that run away from us and never have an end are our own. Poverty in material things is easy to solve, poverty of the soul, impossible.” — Montaigne, Of Managing the Will (1580).

Individual polyps do what they can to protect the colony and help it grow. We only have one planet, we’re part of the same system, and its time we do the same.

“All things are part of one single system, which is called nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with nature”. — Zeno of Citium, Founder of Stoic Philosophy.

No matter where we live, we can all help coral reefs by using the four stoic virtues of:

Courage — Take part in the discourse surrounding climate change and coral reef ecosystems. Find a climate and/or coral reef scientist to read about, and familiarize yourself with the science behind the conservation agendas.

“And so laymen get the better of you; since judgement is all-powerful, judgment is invincible. Until the fine thoughts, then, are firmly established in you, and you’ve acquired the power that is needed to guarantee your safety, I would advise you to be cautious about getting involved with Laymen. Otherwise everything you write down in the schoolroom will melt away day by day like wax in the sun.” — Epictetus, Discourses, 3.16 (8–9).

Justice — Get involved with initiatives that are actively helping marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

“It is of course required of a human that they should benefit their fellow humans — many if they can; if not, a few, if not a few, those who are nearest, if not those, themselves. For when they render themselves useful to others, they engage in public affairs”. — Seneca. On Leisure 3.5.

Temperance — Be aware of the consumer decisions you make and how they affect the earth’s environments, including coral reefs.

“That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.54.

Wisdom — Share your knowledge with those unaware. In doing so, understand other people’s perspective on the challenges facing the environment, and together we will come up with the solutions.

“Part of my joy in learning is that it puts me in a position to teach; nothing, however outstanding and however helpful, will ever give me any pleasure if the knowledge is to be for my own benefit alone. If wisdom were offered me on the one condition that I should keep it shut away and not divulge it to anyone, I should reject it. There is no enjoying the possession of anything valuable unless one has someone to share it with” — Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, Letter VI.

Be Strong, Be Well,

Dominic Bryant, Polyps for Purpose.

Disclaimer*. The opinions on this blog post are that of the author alone. There are no partnerships (paid or unpaid) in the article linked to Polyps for Purpose from before the date it was first published on medium.com. Dominic Bryant is currently a member of the IUCN Coral Specialist Group and holds an Honorary Research Fellow position with the Coral Reef Ecosystems Laboratory, within the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia. Hyperlinks are provided as educational tools and references for readers who are interested to learn more. All images provided by © Underwater Earth/XL Catlin Seaview Survey have been used for educational purposes only. For any questions please email contact@p4pcoral.com.