Coral Reefs: Services, Threats and

Management

•Tropical latitudes

•Warm water >24 Degrees C)

•Lack of seasonality

•Less developed nations

•Nutrient-less (clear) water

• Two organisms living together and helping each other is called symbiosis.– Zooxanthellae (algae) make oxygen,

remove the polyp’s wastes, and make food for the polyp from photosynthesis.

– Coral polyps protect the zooxanthellae, release CO2, and provide it with necessary nutrients from their own waste.

Coral reefs – Rainforests of the sea provide:

• 800 species of reef-building corals & 4000 species of fish

• 1/4 of total fish catch in developing countries

• Invaluable attraction for tourism

• New medicines• Coastal protection

What evidence is

there of high levels of

biodiversity?

Coral reefs are threatened by:

Overfishing

Coastal resort development

Aquarium & Curio trade

Marine pollution

Blast fishing & Fish poisoning

Global warming - bleaching

Reefs are disappearing fast

• 10 % of world’s coral reefs were lost by 2000 (in 1998 coral bleaching alone destroyed 16 % of the reefs that were lost, half will never recover)

• 32 % reefs are in a critical stage or threatened

• Many Marine parks are paper parks

• 40 countries with reefs have no parks at all.

Benefits of Marine Parks …

• exclude local people • provide fish nurseries & spawning

grounds• Re-stock neigbouring areas• ‘Spill-over effect’ increases catches

there:• Fishers benefit directly!• Less human-wildlife conflicts• Less political pressure for

compensation from tourism revenues…

Ecotourism - the most sustainable option for economic use of reefs

This Manta is one meal for few people only.

This Manta can provide income for many people over many years...

..if benefits are shared?