The world has lost close to half of its coral reefs in the past 30 years. It is estimated that close to 90% of all coral reefs will be dead by the year 2050. Environmental stress is the main reason for the exponential decline of coral reefs. Scientists have identified various increases in environmental stress factors, including the increase in UV radiation, heat stress, pollution and most important of all, electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
Why do I emphasize the importance of damage from electromagnetic radiation? According to the author of this article, 95% of a pristine coral reef at the north shore of Oahu has been decimated by the effects of electromagnetic radiation generated from the satellite tracking antennas at the Ka’ena Point Satellite Tracking Station.
To be fair, the Air Force did conduct a survey on the biologic effects of these satellites. The study disclosed that exposures to EMR in the area would be:
“1 milliwatt per centimeter squared (mW/sq cm) averaged over 30 minutes for the general population, and 6 mW/sq cm averaged over 6 minutes for on-site employees”.
The study deemed the installations at the location to have “no significant environmental impacts on human and natural environment”.
EMR and Vitamin C
From what we know about how EMR can deplete vitamin C in both plants and animals, do you believe that these installations do not deplete ascorbate in coral reef? The question becomes, what happens when coral reefs are depleted of ascorbate?
- Oxidative stress. Ascorbate protects plants and animals from oxidative stress from UV radiation. Marine algae, like plants also produce ascorbate to protect themselves from oxidative stress caused by UV radiation. And we all know that coral reefs and marine algae have a symbiotic relationship that dates back to over 210 million years ago. Algae allowed coral reef to survive in nutrient poor environments (think ocean pollution). When the algae populations decline as a result of uncontrolled oxidative stress from depleted ascorbate, coral reef survival rates plummet also.
- Heat stress. Ascorbate has been found to relieve damage from heat stress in plants. It is possible that the loss of ascorbate in coral reef contribute to the heightened sensitivity to heat stress in the environment. [8] But do coral reef actually produce vitamin C?
- Alterations in the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter in corals. A 2016 study found that a species of coral that is highly resistant to anthropogenic stressors exhibited upregulated transcription that appeared to encode the sodium-dependent Vitamin C transporter (SLC23A). Is that why these coral are resistant to stressors because they have more ascorbate due to increased expression of vitamin C transporters? We all know that ascorbate is critical to collagen formation. In corals, collagen has also been identified as a component of the skeleton’s extracellular matrix. Does Vitamin C help coral produce healthier skeletons?
- Coral Reef Calcification. Vitamin C has been identified as being critical to the skeletal formation in coral reef. Ascorbate increases production of extracellular matrix as well as precipitation of calcium carbonate – Polyps in coral reefs are responsible for the secretion of calcium carbonate(CaCO3) in the formation of their skeleton. The ECM (extracellular matrix) facilitates cell–cell and cell–substrate adhesion. Just as vitamin C enhances bone formation in mammals, ascorbate enhances skeletal formation in coral as well! This is because collagen is the main protein of the ECM matrix of coral species, and collagen cannot be produced without ascorbate. A study found the addition of ascorbic acid to the culture media increased collagen production by more than 40% in coral cell cultures. The study also showed impressive precipitation of calcium carbonate by coral cells in a medium containing ascorbic acid after incubation for two weeks.
It is very clear to me that the depletion of ascorbate by electromagnetic radiation not only affects plants, animals and humans, but coral reefs as well. Perhaps this connection will help us find ways to restore reef health. What do you think? To learn more about the how the quantum properties of ascorbate that protect living organisms from EMR, read this ground breaking article: Electromagnetic Radiation and Quantum Decoherence: Is Vitamin C the Ultimate Quantum Interface?
We Need Your Help
More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.
Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.
Photograph: XL Caltlin Seaview Survey
