The effects of rising sea levels may seem to some like a problem for the future, but the low-lying Bahamas is facing a crisis now, as ITV News reported.
What's happening?
The Bahamas is especially vulnerable to extreme weather and rising sea levels. Bahamian reefs are suffering the effects of rising sea temperatures caused by the warming of the planet. And the reefs' rainbow colors are gone. The high temperatures have bleached the coral, which makes it more susceptible to disease.
Because the reefs are a habitat for many fish species in the area, the fishing community is also suffering, as the ITV news detailed.
Why is sea level rise in the Bahamas concerning?
Shervin Tate and his son, Shervin Junior, come from generations of local fishermen, but they are now forced to go much further out to sea due to the rising temperatures "because you're not seeing a bunch of fish running up along the coast anymore," the elder Shervin shared with ITV News. He also explained that their expeditions are costing them more for fuel.
Hurricane Dorian in 2019 was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the area, destroying more than a third of the mangrove forests on the island of Grand Bahama, according to ITV News. That destruction, coupled with the damage to the coral reefs, has greatly reduced the island's natural barriers against extreme weather events.
The rising sea levels, partly caused by faraway melting glaciers, are also negatively impacting the region, as the news report noted.
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Although extreme weather events have always existed, scientists have come to a consensus that rising global temperatures caused by human behavior have made such events more frequent and more powerful.
Meanwhile, residents and workers in the Bahamas are trying to adapt but are also concerned about the future.
"I'm willing to stay to the end, but at the same time I'm not waiting to be killed," said Abigail Alain, a worker at Coral Vita, described as the world's first land-based commercial coral farm by ITV News.
What's being done about rising sea levels?
To help reduce extreme events and the effects of a warming planet, we can focus on cutting down pollution and utilizing more sustainable energy sources.
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Definitely 👍 In the Bahamas, Coral Vita is working to restore the island's damaged reefs. Per the news report, scientists are taking small pieces of coral and accelerating their growth by 50 times the normal rate.
Still, locals feel that it is more about survival than sustainability, though they are holding on to hope. The ITV News reporter wrote: "I'm impressed by how much more interested many islanders are in trying to generate solutions rather than sympathy."
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