Coral Reefs

Learn why it’s critical to protect coral reefs as quickly as possible. Often called “the rainforests of the seas,” coral reefs are a critical home for marine biodiversity. They can be found in shallow (sunlit) water, at medium depths (low light), and in deep water. Coral reefs exist in one hundred countries and support over one billion people, including many Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. They provide coastal cities with protection from storms. However, coral reefs are under threat in many places and have declined in their ability to provide ecosystem services, such as food and storm protection, by 50 percent in the last seventy years. For example, the famous Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral cover since 1995. Challenges to coral reefs globally include:

• Unsustainable fishing. Some fishing methods, such as trawling and dynamite, can damage reefs directly and remove fish species that are critical to coral reef ecosystems (see Global Fishing Fleets Nexus and Deep Seabed Mining Nexus).
• Pollution. An estimated 20 percent of coral reefs are threatened by exposure to toxic substances, including oil, industrial chemicals, pesticides from runoff, antifouling compounds, and chemical fishing practices.
• Coral mining and trade. Reefs are mined as a source of construction material, as curios for tourists, and as parts of jewelry for sale or trade. Reef-dependent fish and live coral are taken for the aquarium industry.
• Coastal development. Reefs can be impacted by beach resorts, airports, marinas, mines, and other land-use changes.
• Climate change. Climate impacts that affect corals the most are warming ocean temperatures, which can cause coral bleaching, and ocean acidification, which can weaken corals, disrupting the growth of new coral.

Reduce seafood consumption and eat sustainable seafood. Some seafood fishing methods are harmful and unsustainable, damaging ocean habitats and fish populations (see Global Fishing Fleets Nexus). Eating reef fish, particularly herbivores, can be extremely harmful to coral reefs. If you live in an area that serves this fish as seafood, avoid ordering or eating them.

• The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guide allows you to make smarter seafood choices by searching by fish or region. 
• The Monterey Bay Aquarium also offers a sustainable seafood database based on location, as well as an app and physical cards to carry.
• Eating certain local seafood has a similar climate impact to eating plant-based food. This includes small fish like sardines and anchovies, as well as farmed mussels, clams, and oysters (see Aquaculture Nexus).
• Other seafood guides are provided by Oceana, NRDC, World Wildlife Fund, Marine Conservation Society, and GoodFish.
• Eat at restaurants that feature sustainable fish sources. In the Bahamas, chef Jose Andres has opened an eatery that highlights local fishing traditions.

Check your sunscreen ingredients. Some common active ingredients in sunscreen are harmful to your health and the environment in large doses.

• Oxybenzone has been found by some agencies to be harmful to humans. As of 2019, Hawaii has banned oxybenzone in sunscreen after finding unhealthy levels of it in their popular tourist bays where people snorkel.
• Here’s a short list of reef-safe brands some experts recommend.

Reduce your carbon footprint. Global climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs. Lower your carbon footprint in your daily life. Options include reducing your consumption of meat; eating lower on the food chain; composting; traveling less; lowering your home energy use; saving energy; and switching to renewable energy. Change what you wear. The clothing and footwear industry alone accounts for 8-10 percent of humanity’s total carbon emissions. See Clothing Nexus. Much more information can be found on the Wasting Nothing Nexus, Micromobility Nexus, Electric Vehicles Nexus, Heat Pumps Nexus, and Plant Diversity Nexus.

Reduce your single-use plastic consumption. Every year, 11 million metric tons of plastic trash enter the ocean, harming seven hundred different types of marine species. The plastic crisis requires immediate action, which institutions are working to implement. See Plastics Nexus for more information.

• Here are resources for cutting back on single-use plastics. There are alternatives to consider as well. Here is a blog about living without plastic altogether. Recycle and reuse where possible.
• Participate in a beach cleanup. Find one near you or organize one yourself. 

Support a campaign for the protection of coral reef habitats. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are often started by communities and small organizations (see Marine Protected Areas Nexus). Learn more about movements in your area. Here are some examples:

• The California Fish and Game Commission holds regular meetings about protections, and the public is welcome to attend and participate.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) works on conservation issues globally. Learn about their efforts in marine protected areas, in particular.
• The UN Convention on Biological Diversity has a 30x30 Campaign with the goal of conserving 30 percent of land and ocean by 2030.
• NOAA has local-led beach cleanups and other ways to support MPAs.

Volunteer with a reef restoration or conservation organization. Recent research has demonstrated that damaged coral reefs can recover after restoration efforts. Volunteering can provide access to coral reef habitats. Here are some organizations:

• Reef Check has a science program that trains youth and volunteers to conduct underwater research.
• The Bimini Biological Field Station’s Shark Lab hires interns to live in the Bahamas for months at a time to help with research.
• The Ocean Agency is relatively new. Their founder is featured in the Chasing Coral documentary, which sparked a movement.
• Hawaii has extensive volunteer opportunities.
• The Nature Conservancy has a coral reef campaign. Friends of the Sea has a Save the Corals campaign. Coral Reef Alliance has one too.
• World Wildlife Fund’s Fight for the Reef campaign focuses on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Reef Restoration Foundation works with volunteers in Australia.
• The Coral Restoration Foundation is working on coral reefs in coastal U.S. waters.

Participate in reef-safe ecotourism. Many tourist organizations destroy reefs, manipulate sea turtle hatching, and remove reef fish and other organisms from the habitat unsustainably. Know the practices behind the companies you support.

• Rainforest Alliance has a certification program for resorts. They provide a yearly audit to ensure compliance.
• Consider locally run and owned eco-operators. Make sure you’re asking the right questions about the companies. Check out this guide for becoming a reef-safe traveler.
• Don’t buy coral jewelry, as it often hurts coral reefs, particularly deep-sea corals, which grow and recover very slowly from damage. Coral jewelry has been banned by some companies, including Tiffany. Even taking empty shells at the beach can harm the ecosystem.
• Practice responsible diving and snorkeling when visiting coral areas.

Stop overfishing and implement sustainable fishing methods. Some fishing methods have a greater impact on coral ecosystems than others (see Global Fishing Fleets Nexus). Recent research reveals that nearly two-thirds of all coral reefs are overfished. Consider how your equipment may be interacting with the environment.

• The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) works with fisheries, scientists, and other experts to incentivize sustainable fishing. Here is a guide to understanding whether your fishery can be certified.
• The Nature Conservancy works with many countries to promote and protect sustainable fisheries, including award-winning work with Indonesia.
• The World Wildlife Fund supports local sustainable fisheries in the Coral Triangle of Southeast Asia. The Coral Triangle Center also works to empower local communities in this effort.
• Here are resources from the Coral Reef Alliance about managing coral fishery resources.
• Traditional fishing methods and subsistence fishing can be smaller scale and thus more sustainable for coral reefs. This study from the Hawaiian Islands shows the importance of local-led monitoring methods.

Take leadership roles in the protection of coral reefs. For too long, local communities and Indigenous peoples have been relegated to subordinate roles in reef conservation and restoration. Examples of leadership include:

• The island nation of Palau is convening coral reef scientists and supporting coral reef conservation.
• The Seawomen of Melanesia are working with the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to use Indigenous knowledge to restore coral reefs.
• A community in Baja, Mexico, called Cabo Pulmo, worked together to create and enforce one of the most successful marine protected areas in the world.
• The community of Anagusa Islands in Papua New Guinea is using gwala—the traditional practice of setting aside a reef to allow the ecosystem to recover—to protect coral reefs.
• Madagascar Coral Reef Network is stewarded by a working group, including representatives from the local community.
• In Australia, Traditional Owners of coral reefs, including the Gurang, Taribelang, and Bunda, are in charge of monitoring and protecting reefs along the Queensland coast.
• In Samoa, a coalition of Traditional Owners are working together to restore damaged coral reefs.

Learn more about current research in different coral systems. Network with other scientists, educators, and nonprofit organizations. Areas of active research include the effects of microplastics and improving water quality in coral reefs. Forums include:

• The International Coral Reef Symposium, held in a different location every four years.
• The Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, which is next meeting in Singapore in 2023.
• The United Nations’ Ocean Conference. In 2022, it was in Portugal. There is no fee for this event.

Get involved in coral reef research. Coral reefs are highly variable in their conservation needs, and coral research can help us understand how to make corals more resilient to climate change. In the face of continued temperature and acidity increases, scientists can help corals adapt in a variety of innovative ways, including improving coral nurseries, creating artificial reefs (including solar-powered ones) for coral nurseries, breeding corals, and writing adaptability traits into coral genomes.

• New research is revealing the critical role microbes play in maintaining the health of coral reef systems.
• Restoration of reefs has received a great deal of attention recently, backed up by emerging studies and how to refine and strengthen coral systems.

Learn about coral reef resources for the classroom. National Geographic Education has excellent online information for a classroom setting.

Study marine biology or become a coral reef scientist. Join a university or nonprofit leading coral reef research. Here are some of the foremost institutions:

• James Cook University, Australia
• University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA
• University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

Sell reef-safe products. 

• Safe Sunscreen Council is a coalition of companies working to raise awareness about reef-safe cosmetics and to support the development and adoption of safer ingredients in the industry.
• Avoid selling unsustainable products from the ocean, such as coral jewelry, bleached coral, dried starfish, and sand dollars, as removing these products from the ocean can often promote the degradation of reefs.

Support reef conservation efforts. 

• This jewelry company donates 10 percent of its profits to the Coral Reef Alliance. Here is a list of the Alliance’s other corporate partners.
• Global Fund for Coral Reefs works internationally to fund global coral reef conservation efforts with the financial support of corporate donors.
• Mitsubishi has supported a coral reef conservation project since 2011.

Coral Reefs 101 by National Geographic (4 mins.)

The Coral Reef Economy by NOAA (2 mins.)

Our Planet | Coastal Seas by Netflix (50 mins.)

Chasing Coral by Netflix (109 mins.)

Zapping Coral with the World’s Most Powerful X-Ray by PBS (3 mins.)

Yes, We Can Save the World’s Coral Reefs by Terry Hughes / TEDx Talks (13 mins.)

Why Are Marine Protected Areas Important by Scripps Oceanography (5 mins.)

How a Handful of Fishing Villages Sparked a Marine Conservation Revolution by Alasdair Harris / TED (12 mins.)

An Ingenious Proposal for Scaling Up Marine Protection by The Nature Conservancy (5 mins.)

Why We Need to Start a Reef Revolution by Dr. Adam Smith / TEDx Talks (17 mins.)

“How to Save the World’s Coral Reefs” by The Economist

Corals and Coral Reefs by Nancy Knowlton / The Smithsonian

"Can Indigenous Knowledge Save Coral Reefs?" by Sarah Reid / BBC

“Centring Indigenous-Led Governance of Coral Reefs” by Economist Impact

"Spiderwebs to the Rescue for Indonesia’s Coral Reefs" by Agustinus Wijayanto and Warief Djajanto Basorie / Mongabay

“The Oceans Take Center Stage at a UN Conference” by Maxine Joselow / Washington Post 

"The Case for Ocean Optimism" by Eric Bender / Knowable

“Why Some Coral Reefs Are Thriving” by Ed Yong / The Atlantic

How to Save Coral Reefs as the World Warms by Nature Podcasts (16 mins.)

How Coral Reefs Work by Stuff You Should Know Podcast (36 mins.)

Coral Reefs—The Rainforests of the Sea by Ocean Matters Podcast (31 mins.)

Are the Coral Reefs Really Doomed? by How to Save a Planet Podcast (35 mins.)