WRI Publications Feed: Reefs at Risk - Analysis of Threats to Coral Reefs

Belize Coastal Threat Atlas

Richard Waite — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:09:53 -0400

Coastal ecosystems of Belize are threatened by both local threats (coastal development, pollution, sediments, overfishing) and broader scale threats (transboundary sediment and pollution, coral bleaching, coral disease). Pressure on the reefs will continue to grow as development increases, but better management can help reduce the threat and protect these valuable ecosystems in order to maintain their sustainable use.

The Reefs at Risk in Belize project was developed to improve access to information on coral reefs in Belize in support of better management of coastal resources.

Information available on threats to and condition of coral reefs in Belize is limited and uneven, but is improving. Several Belizean NGOs have done assessments of resources within selected marine protected areas, and have detailed information for these areas. During 2004, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Belize Audubon Society, Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and World Wildlife Fund held a series of threat assessment and mapping workshops where coastal resource users (stakeholders) and scientists mapped known threats to coral reefs in Belize. One workshop was held for each of the four major reef systems—the Belize Barrier Reef, Glover’s Reef, Lighthouse Reef, and Turneffe Atoll.

These detailed assessments and expert mapping of threats have been complemented by an analytical approach implemented under the [Reefs at Risk in Belize](node/2255 project. [Reefs at Risk Belize](node/2255 is centered on the use of a geographical information system (GIS) to visualize and analyze the relationship between human activities (pressures) and coral reef health.

The project has developed a series of standardized indicators of human pressure on coral reefs from coastal development and marine-based threats and from land-based sources of sediment and pollution. The analysis of land-based threats includes a watershed-based analysis for all watersheds discharging along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef region. This atlas provides an opportunity to compare modeled estimates of threat with those derived from expert opinion.

For new estimates of watershed-based threats to the Mesoamerican Reef, check out Watershed Analysis for the Mesoamerican Reef.

Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean

Richard Waite — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0400

Many people in coastal communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean depend on the natural resources provided by reefs for their livelihoods. Ensuring proper management of the reefs is vital for the economic and environmental health of the region, but there is a lack of quality information about the relationship between human activities and coral reef condition across the region. The Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean project was a response to this information need. The primary goal of the project was to raise awareness and improve management of coral reefs across the region through improving the knowledge base on the status of and threats to coral reefs. In collaboration with partner institutions across the region, we implemented an analysis to link human activities with reef condition. A major component of the project involved modeling (estimating) threat to coral reefs from human activities.

Key findings from this report include:

Nearly two-thirds of coral reefs in the Caribbean are threatened by human activities. Integrating threat levels from all sources considered in this analysis (coastal development, watershed-based sediment and pollution, marine based threats, and overfishing), the Reefs at Risk Threat Index identified about one-tenth of Caribbean coral reefs at very high levels of threat, one-third at high threat, one fifth at medium threat, and one-third at low threat.
An estimated one-third of Caribbean coral reefs are threatened by coastal development. This includes sewage discharge, urban runoff, construction, and tourist development.
Sediment and pollution from inland sources threaten about one-third of Caribbean coral reefs. Analysis of more than 3,000 watersheds across the region identified 20 percent of coral reefs at high threat and about 15 percent at medium threat from damage caused by increased sediment and pollution from agricultural lands and other land modification.
Marine-based threats to coral reefs are widespread across the Caribbean. Our indicator of marine-based damage and pollution identified about 15 percent of Caribbean reefs as threatened by discharge of wastewater from cruise ships, tankers and yachts, leaks or spills from oil infrastructure, and damage from ship groundings and anchors.
Overfishing threatens over 60 percent of Caribbean coral reefs. Fishing above sustainable levels affects coral reefs by altering the ecological balance of the reef. The removal of herbivorous fish, which consume algae, facilitates algal overgrowth of corals. Declines in coral cover and increases in algal cover have been observed across the region. This analysis identified about one-third of Caribbean reefs at high threat from overfishing pressure and about 30 percent at medium threat.
Diseases and rising sea temperatures threaten to damage coral reefs across the Caribbean region. Diseases have caused profound changes in Caribbean coral reefs in the past 30 years, with very few areas unscathed by disease, even reefs far removed from human influence. In addition, coral bleaching episodes-the most direct evidence of stress from global climate change on Caribbean marine biodiversity-are on the rise.
Ineffective management of protected areas further threatens Caribbean coral reefs. With the growth of tourism, fisheries, and other development in coral reef areas, marine protected areas (MPAs) are an important tool for safeguarding coral reefs. At present, over 285 MPAs have been declared across the Caribbean, but the level of protection afforded by MPAs varies considerably. The Reefs at Risk Project found only 6 percent of MPAs to be rated as effectively managed and 13 percent as having partially effective management.
The coastal communities and national economies of the Caribbean region are poised to sustain substantial economic losses if current trends in coral reef degradation continue. Coral reefs provide valuable goods and services to support local and national economies, and degradation of coral reefs can lead to significant economic losses, particularly in the coastal areas of developing countries, through loss of fishing livelihoods, malnutrition due to lack of protein, loss of tourism revenues, and increased coastal erosion. Analyses carried out by the Reefs at Risk project indicate that Caribbean coral reefs provide goods and services with an annual net economic value in 2000 estimated at between US$3.1 billion and US$4.6 billion from fisheries, dive tourism, and shoreline protection services.

Related Projects

Reefs at Risk in Belize

Highlighting Coral Reefs in Coastal Planning and Management in Sabah, Malaysia

Richard Waite — Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

This project used the tools, techniques and data developed under the Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia project to implement more detailed analyses of threats to coastal resources in Sabah in close collaboration with local partners. Another key aspect of the project was dissemination of results in order to raise awareness of other government officials and the public and improve management of coral reefs. Ultimately, this led to the development of legislation restricting coastal development near coral reefs in Sabah.

This project was generously supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Project Partners

Town and Regional Planning Department (TRPD), Sabah, Malaysia
Borneo Marine Research Institute of the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS/BMRI)
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) working group
Serge Andrefouet, University of South Florida

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Richard Waite — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 -0500

Bahasa Indonesia version: Terumbu Karang Yang Terancam di Asia Tenggara

People have coexisted with coral reef ecosystems in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. With more than 350 million people living within 50 km of the coast, coral reefs are important not only in local communities’ cultures, but are also critical to the economic health of these nations.

Despite their worth, coral reefs in Southeast Asia face unprecedented threat levels from human activities. The population explosion during the last 50 years is driving many of the current pressures and is creating elevated, often unsustainable demand on both the terrestrial and marine resources of the region. These pressures are jeopardizing the incredible value of coral reefs, whose loss would have significant economic impacts for the region.

Key findings of the report include:

Biological endowment. Southeast Asia contains nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, almost 34 percent of the world total. With over 600 of the almost 800 reef-building coral species, these reefs have the highest levels of marine biodiversity on earth. Southeast Asia is also the global center of biodiversity for coral reef fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. The region also contains 51 of the world’s 70 mangrove species and 23 of the 50 seagrass species.
The economic value associated with coral reefs in Southeast Asia is substantial. The value of the region’s sustainable coral reef fisheries alone is US$2.4 billion per year. In addition, coral reefs are vital to food security, employment, tourism, pharmaceutical research, and shoreline protection. The coral reefs of Indonesia and the Philippines provide annual economic benefits estimated at US$1.6 billion and US$1.1 billion per year, respectively.
Threats to reefs. The heavy reliance on marine resources across Southeast Asia has resulted in the overexploitation and degradation of many coral reefs, particularly those near major population centers. The main threats include overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and sedimentation and pollution from land-based sources. Human activities now threaten an estimated 88 percent of Southeast Asia’s coral reefs, jeopardizing their biological and economic value to society. For 50 percent of these reefs, the level of threat is “high” or “very high.” Only 12 percent of reefs are at low risk.
Effective management is key to maintaining coastal resources, but, is inadequate across much of the region. Some 646 marine protected areas (MPAs) cover an estimated 8 percent of the coral reefs. Of the 332 MPAs whose management effectiveness could be determined, only 14 percent were rated as effectively managed, 48 percent have partially effective management, and 38 percent have inadequate management.
Lack of information. Despite widespread recognition that coral reefs are severely threatened, information about the status and nature of the threats to specific reef areas is limited. This lack of information inhibits effective decisionmaking concerning coastal resources. The Reefs at Risk project was developed to address this deficiency by creating standardized indicators that raise awareness about threats to coral reefs and to highlight the linkages between human activity and coral reef condition.

Resources

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia (English) (PDF, 21.7 MB)

Terumbu Karang Yang Terancam di Asia Tenggara (Bahasa) (PDF, 2.4 MB)

Data CD: Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Technical Notes on the Modeling Method

Download GIS datasets

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia: Maps

Reefs at Risk: A Map-Based Indicator of Threats to the World's Coral Reefs

Richard Waite — Mon, 01 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0400

Reefs at Risk Revisited

This update to the original Reefs at Risk work will provide improved modeling and higher resolution data to better respond to recent ecosystem threats and policy challenges. Read More

In many communities around the globe coral reefs are a vital source of food, a draw for much needed tourist dollars, and a protective buffer for vulnerable coastlines. They are also some of the most ancient and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. In fact, though they occupy less than one quarter of 1 percent of the earth’s marine environment, they are home to more than a quarter of all known marine fish species. These habitats have been called the “rainforests of the sea”: highly productive, rich in species, and – because they are predominantly located in many regions noted for extreme poverty and high population growth rates – particularly vulnerable to future degradation.

Reefs at Risk: A Map-Based Indicator of Threats to the World’s Coral Reefs, produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in collaboration with the WorldFish Center (formerly ICLARM), the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is the first global assessment of coral reefs to map areas at risk from overfishing, coastal development, and other human activity.

The study finds that nearly 60 percent of the earth’s coral reefs are threatened by human activity – ranging from coastal development and overfishing to inland and marine pollution – leaving much of the world’s marine biodiversity at risk. In addition, the report concludes that while reefs provide billions of people and hundreds of countries with food, tourism revenue, coastal protection and new medications for increasingly drug-resistant diseases – worth about $375 billion each year – they are among the least monitored and protected natural habitats in the world.

Key findings of the report include:

Coral reefs of Southeast Asia, the most species-rich on earth, are the most threatened of any region. More than 80 percent are at risk, primarily from coastal development and fishing- related pressures.

Most United States reefs are threatened. Almost all the reefs off the Florida coast are at risk from a range of factors, including runoff of fertilizers and pollutants from farms and coastal development. Close to half of Hawaii’s reefs are threatened, while virtually all of Puerto Rico’s reefs are at risk.

Nearly two-thirds of Caribbean reefs are in jeopardy. Most of the reefs on the Antilles chain, including the islands of Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica and other vacation favorites, are at high risk. Reefs off Jamaica, for example, have been ravaged as a result of overfishing and pollution. Many resemble graveyards, algae-covered and depleted of fish.

But the news is not all bad. The report also describes steps that can be taken to combat threats to coral reefs, and includes the stories of communities around the globe that have successfully addressed these challenges to their marine environment and way of life.

Reefs at Risk concludes that the most important actions for promoting healthy coral reef ecosystems depend largely on these efforts by local governments, community groups, environmental organizations and the private sector. Many are win-win solutions: creating marine parks that, in turn, create new jobs; treating sewage before it reaches reefs (which benefits human health); and eliminating costly government subsidies. A well-managed marine protected areas system is one of the most effective approaches for assuring healthy reefs, while generating tourism dollars and maintaining the vitality of nearby fisheries.

As Sylvia A. Earle, Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, writes in the foreword to Reefs at Risk, “The fate of coral reefs, the ocean, and humankind forty years from now and forevermore will depend on the intelligence, motivation, and caring of people now alive. In that spirit, this report provides hope that we may succeed.”

Financial Support

Bay Foundation
Henry Foundation
David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
United Nations Environment Programme
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Project Partners