2008: The International Year of the Reef

What many people may not know is that the world’s coral reefs are in serious danger from global climate change, destructive fishing methods, unregulated tourism, coastal development, pollution and the global aquarium trade. Because of this, 17 countries and 30 organizations have launched the International Year of the Reef, and three major environmental groups—World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International—have publicly called on governments, businesses, scientists and individuals around the world to vastly increase actions to protect coral reefs.

Leah Bunce, PhD, is the senior director for Conservation International’s Marine Management Area Science Program and is fully involved in this effort. “We’re running a marine science program that focuses on marine protected areas,” she told Organic Connections. “These are geographically defined areas that typically focus on protecting biodiversity, but also on ensuring sustainable livelihoods all over the world.”

What Exactly Are Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs are composed of hard corals, one of Earth’s more interesting forms of life. Small cylindrical organisms known as polyps, they are simple invertebrate animals that have much of their diet provided by one-celled algae called zooxanthellae. These algae exist in a fascinating symbiosis with the coral, living inside the polyps, sharing space and exchanging gases and nutrients. Corals also eat small fish, plankton and other food particles.

The great reefs come about as millions of the tiny polyps extract calcium from surrounding seawater and with it create a hardened structure for protection and growth, also establishing the basis for an ecosystem and home for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of other species. Coral reefs are the largest living structures on the planet.

Because of the need of the plants (algae) for light, corals must compete for space on sea floors where light is abundant. It is unfortunately this exposure that also makes them so susceptible to environmental dangers.

Why Are Coral Reefs So Important?

Coral reefs help support many of their host countries through tourism—each year millions of divers visit reefs to witness their unparalleled beauty. But the value of the reefs goes far beyond their beauty.

If put together, it is estimated the entire world’s coral reefs would only equal an area of land somewhere between the sizes of Ecuador and Spain. Such a mass represents far less than 1 percent of the ocean—they are generally found only within tropical and subtropical waters between latitudes 30° north and 30° south—yet coral reefs harbor more than one-quarter of the ocean’s biodiversity. No other ecosystem occupies such limited space with so many life forms. “Coral reefs are often described as the rainforests of the sea,” Dr. Bunce said. “They’re basically the lifeblood to many tropical coastal communities, both in developed and developing countries. In fact, World Resources estimated that properly managed coral reefs can yield an average of 15 tons of fish and other seafood per square kilometer each year.”

Reefs are actually home to over 4,000 different species of fish. They also host a multitude of types of invertebrates, such as jellyfish, sponges, worms, shrimp, spiny lobsters, crabs, shellfish, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sea turtles and sea snakes.

These thriving aquatic communities additionally act to protect shorelines from storms. “Reefs are increasingly recognized as shoreline protection,” said Dr. Bunce. “In fact, when the tsunami hit Southeast Asia it was areas that had their coral reefs and mangroves intact that were the least impacted.”

With such a relatively small area providing home to such a large variety of aquatic life and providing sustenance and livelihood for so many, it is obvious that destruction of these oases would be a massive blow to global economy as well as oceanic ecology.

What Is Endangering Coral Reefs?

In the last few decades, over 35 million acres of coral reefs have been obliterated and reefs off 93 countries have been damaged. According to The Nature Conservancy, if destruction continues at the current rate, in 50 years 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs will have disappeared.

“We’re already seeing substantial impacts,” said Dr. Bunce. “Studies have shown that an estimated 30 percent of the coral reefs are already severely damaged, and an estimated 60 percent may be lost by 2030.”

Overfishing and Destructive Methods

Increasing demand for reef fish as food as well as tourism souvenirs, especially in areas in which such fishing is not regulated, has resulted in overfishing and depletion of some species. Overfishing of certain species can upset a reef ’s ecological balance; for example, overfishing of herbivorous fish can lead to high levels of algae growth.

In order to expedite taking of fish, unscrupulous fishermen utilize dynamite, cyanide and other dangerous methods to stun fish and render them easier to catch. Such methods not only break up the fragile coral reef, they also do not select or target particular species and often result in the destruction of juveniles and “unusable” species of life. Such tactics are used as well by the aquarium trade to satisfy the ever growing aquarium market worldwide. Ironically, such methods are destroying the very source of the offenders’ livelihoods.

Uninformed and Careless Tourism

Coral reefs generate fantastic amounts of tourist income for their host countries. Yet because tourists are rarely informed of the fragility of these environments, they cause damage by handling, stepping on and dropping boat anchors into reefs. Meanwhile some hotels and resorts catering to these same tourists discharge untreated sewage and wastewater into the ocean, polluting the water and encouraging the growth of algae, which competes for space on the reef with corals.

Coastal Development

Coastal cities and towns are constantly being developed. Where space is limited, airports and other structures may be built on land reclaimed from the sea. Dredging activity utilized to make deep-water channels or marinas can destroy or disturb sensitive habitats, as can the dumping of waste. Reefs can be degraded where the natural flow of water is altered, causing greater amounts of fresh water, nutrients and sediment to reach the reefs. Because coral reefs are biological assemblages adapted to waters with low nutrient content, reef community balance is greatly disrupted. Nutrient-rich water causes fleshy algae and phytoplankton to thrive in coastal areas in suffocating amounts.

Global Warming

A slight rise in maximum water temperatures— only one to two degrees—can stress the corals causing them to expel zooxanthellae, the microscopic organisms that color their tissues and provide them with essential nutrients. This results in a phenomenon known as “coral bleaching,” a rapid whitening of the coral. If temperatures return to normal, the coral can recover, but if not they can die. The impacts from coral bleaching are becoming global in scale and are increasing in frequency and intensity. Significant bleaching events were reported in 1982, 1987 and 1992. The strongest sea surface warming event ever recorded occurred in 1998, in which an estimated 46 percent of the corals in the western Indian Ocean were heavily impacted or died.

Cumulative Impact

“What we’re basically seeing is a cumulative impact,” explained Dr. Bunce. “If you can imagine that your immune system as a human is run down by poor eating habits or how you treat your body, and then you also get hit with some sort of virus, you’re going to be completely wiped out; whereas if you’re keeping your body in good shape, you’re going to have stronger resilience. In a similar way, coral reefs are having localized impacts from overfishing or from land-based pollution and runoff, and then they get hit with the larger impact of climate change.”

What Can Be Done?

In 2003, the World Parks Congress urged that at least 20 to 30 percent of each marine habitat should be protected by 2012. At current levels of effort, this goal will not be achieved for coral reefs. Given the importance of these systems for ocean life and human well-being, and the special stresses they face because of climate change, the need to act now is critical. In the Year of the Reef, the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International are specifically urging

• that the area of coral reefs under protection be increased globally from the current level of 15 percent to 30 percent;
• that protected zones be carefully designed as systems that are able to resist or rapidly recover from the multiple stresses they face, including those caused by climate change;
• that within these protected zone systems, there be significant areas where human uses are considerably limited so that already stressed marine species can recover;
• that governments and civil societies work together to achieve the effective management of all coral reef protected areas.

“The localized impacts to coral reefs are what we have the most control over,” Dr. Bunce said. “It’s become even more important that we manage and reduce those threats because of the additional threat of global impacts. Establishing marine parks has become a way of focusing attention on priority locations and providing them the protection they need.”

What You Can Do

There are many things individuals can do to help protect coral reefs.

• Don’t litter the beach. In addition to picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind. More than just being unsightly, beach litter poses a significant threat to the health and survival of marine organisms.
• Recycle. This helps keep trash out of the oceans and also out of landfills where it can have an adverse impact on the water quality of our rivers and oceans.
• Report dumping or other illegal activities. Your involvement can help make a big difference.
• Be an informed consumer. Only buy marine fish and other reef organisms for your aquarium when you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner. Ask store managers where they come from and how they were collected. For more information on how to find sustainably harvested reef fish, visit www.aquariumcouncil.org.
• If you dive, don’t touch the coral! Keep your fins, gear and hands away from the reef, as contact will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom, because disturbed sediments can smother the corals.
• If you take out a boat, don’t anchor in the reef. Use mooring buoy systems when they are available.
• Make sure your wastewater is properly managed. Ensure that sewage from your boat and home is correctly treated.
• Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef, these products eventually enter common waterways such as streams and lakes and ultimately arrive in the ocean.
• Support only reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operator, hotel and other coastal businesses are doing to save coral reefs.

In addition to the above, Dr. Bunce also suggests you only purchase seafood that has been sustainably grown and harvested. “In the US, there are great seafood guides you can consult,” she said. “The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a fantastic one. Such guides advise what seafood is sustainable.” And lastly, spread the word! Educate others on reefs and their importance, especially those who are going off on Caribbean, Hawaiian or other tropical vacations.