Coral reefs are good for people. Healthy coral reefs provide the source of food for hundreds of millions of people around the world.  They are self-healing structures that can prevent storm waves battering coastal areas where many people live.  Coral reefs are among the most beautiful places in the ocean.  Their diverse and colorful species attract people from all around the world.  Even those of us who live far away from reefs can be touched by the good they do for our global neighbors.  Each of us can find and join organizations to learn more and to find ways to help protect what matters for both people and corals.

• People’s lives are intertwined with the health of oceans and coral reefs, so protecting corals is a good idea for us all.  Corals build immense structures in the ocean which provide protection for many populated coastal areas in the tropics.  The structures are also home to an amazing array of ocean species including fish, sharks, sponges, and anemones.  About one fourth of all ocean species spends at least part of their lives in coral reef habitats.  Many spend their entire lives there and are dependent on coral structures for their homes.

• Coral structures support productive ecosystems that provide livelihoods for about 6 million reef fishermen in 99 countries and territories around the world.  Hundreds of millions of people depend on reefs as a primary source of their daily protein such as fish and shellfish.  If reefs are not healthy, those people will need to look elsewhere for their food.

• Coral reefs can protect coastal areas from the damaging force of waves, giving protection for nearly 200 million people, worldwide.  Healthy reefs regenerate their protective structures over time.  Coral restoration is less expensive than building large barriers of concrete or stone or other artificial structures for coastal protection from waves.

• Healthy reefs generate economic engines for many communities – economic engines that may be at risk if coral health declines.  Diverse and abundant corals – and the colorful fishes, snails, seastars, crabs, clams and numerous other species that make their homes amongst them – attract and delight visitors lucky enough to have a chance to see them.

• Coral reefs and other ecosystems, globally, are estimated to provide over $46 trillion in value each year, globally.  This value is mainly derived from fishing, tourism, coastal flood protection and atmospheric carbon sequestration (CO2) (French report of Ifrecor : http://temis.documentation.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/docs/Temis/0085/Temis-0085567/22836_Rapport.pdf).

• We have a responsibility to care for coral reefs for us today and for future generations.  Coral reefs and people are all connected – from the tropics to the poles – by ocean systems.  Ocean currents carry heat and moisture around the world, shaping our global climate on land as well as in the oceans.  Global commerce uses the world’s oceans to transport agricultural products and materials. International tourism allows vacationers from countries all over the world to visit reefs and learn about distant cultures and how they are connected to the ocean.  Each of us can join with groups in our areas to work to protect coral reefs from the stresses of trade and tourism.

Interview