Reflection

Reflection

When researching the effects of climate change on our oceans in search of inspiration for my piece, I encountered coral bleaching several times. Coral bleaching occurs when warmer waters cause the loss of photosynthetic algae that live on coral and provides most of its food, leaving the coral white and starving, which can lead to the death of the coral. The visual effect of the bleaching is distinct, with the white a stark contrast to the beautiful bright colors of healthy coral. To illustrate this loss, I compared the coral bleaching to the bleaching of one's hair, which strips it of its color and causes severe damage over time. The character of my piece is a personification of a tropical coral reef whose hair (coral) has been bleached and damaged. She wishes for the bright colors to return and so dyes the coral to a facsimile of its original bright hue. Just as the bleaching of hair is done by human hands, coral bleaching occurs from human actions. To continue with the metaphor created in my piece, I draw hope from the anticipation of regrowth. Just as hair grows back healthy and strong after the bleaching chemicals stop, coral may too return as vibrant as before if actions are taken to mitigate the increasingly warmer waters of our oceans. I plan to study Environmental Science in college to hopefully contribute personally to the fight against climate change.