Overview

For many communities, coral reefs are a vital source of food, tourist revenue, and a protective buffer for vulnerable coastlines. They are also some of the most ancient and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. Although they occupy less than one quarter of 1 percent of the earth’s marine environment, they are home to over two million species. Reefs have been called the “rainforests of the sea”: highly productive, rich in species, and – because they are predominantly located in regions with extreme poverty and high population growth rates – particularly vulnerable to future degradation.

Strategy

Since 1998, WRI has responded to the need for better information on the conditions and threats to coral reefs. Reefs at Risk: A map-based indicator of threats to the world’s coral reefs provides a detailed map-based analysis of human pressure on coral reefs. The detailed analysis confirmed that coral reefs are seriously threatened in many areas around the world. This global analysis was the basis for the launch of the Reefs at Risk project series. Implemented on a regional scale, each project brings together and produces more detailed and accurate results, which are then used to evaluate alternative development plans and for conservation priority-setting.

Reefs at Risk has done work in the following areas:

• Global Analysis
• Southeast Asia
• Caribbean
• Belize
• Sabah, Malaysia