On the third day of practice in the Yaeyama islands, we visited the coral research center. In this center, coral and reefs and corals themselves are explored, which are distributed throughout the entire water area near the shores of the islands.
During the tour, the rangers introduced us not only to corals, but also at the beginning they gave a lecture and showed representatives of the fauna of the region, ranging from invasive iguanas to frogs. After the tour, we were given a lecture showing a presentation about the activities of the center and the goals they follow. At the very beginning, a quiz on general knowledge about corals was held for all listeners. After that, the rangers introduced us to the situation of the coral reefs located around the island and the problems they face, such as ocean pollution and its impact on corals.
I would like to emphasize that during the lecture, many interesting facts were said that show the uniqueness of the Yaeyama islands. For example, the following: the variety of corals around the islands is greater than in the Great Barrier Reef. And this kind of information was told during a lecture held at the center.
In conclusion, it should be noted that in order to preserve this uniqueness of these islands, it is necessary to begin actions to solve such global problems as pollution of water resources and oceans and the problems of global warming.
