Topic: oceans

Threats to reefs from sedimentation and pollution from inland sources were modeled for over 3,000 watersheds discharging into the Caribbean.

This map identifies 415 eutrophic and hypoxic coastal systems worldwide. Of these, 169 are documented hypoxic areas, 233 are areas of concern and 13 are systems in recovery.

Immigration Linked to Degraded Ecosystem

Border security is not typically recognized as being tied to environmental changes, but in this recent article by The New York Times, the links are clear. It details how declining fish catches in northwest Africa are fueling immigration to Europe.

Choking Coastal Waters

My team at WRI, together with Dr. Bob Diaz at the Virginia Marine Institute, has identified and mapped 415 eutrophic and hypoxic coastal systems worldwide through an extensive literature review. Of these, 169 are documented hypoxic areas, 233 are areas of concern and 13 are systems in recovery.

Raising awareness of threats to coral reefs and providing information and tools to manage coastal habitats more effectively.

Documenting—in easy-to-understand terms—how global fishing trends are affecting global fish stocks and fishers, and how consumer choices can make a difference.

Watershed Analysis for the Mesoamerican Reef

This analysis quantifies and maps the origins of sediment and nutrient runoff that threatens the Mesoamerican Reef. With it, WRI seeks to inform land-use planning, agriculture, conservation and threat mitigation efforts.

Fisheries management often focuses on individual fish stocks. Yet, health of fish stocks depends on the health of the marine ecosystem. One important element in the health of the marine ecosystem is the number and variety of species in a given area.

Land-based Sources of Threat to Coral Reefs in the US Virgin Islands

This atlas, developed by WRI and NOAA, provides a series of spatial indicators of watershed-based sources of threat to coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands.

Belize Coastal Threat Atlas

The Belize Coastal Threat Atlas contains detailed assessments and mapping of threats to coral reefs in Belize, along with analysis. The project uses a geographical information system (GIS) to visualize and analyze the relationship between human activities and coral reef health.

Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean

Improving coastal resource management and coral reef protection by providing comprehensive information on threats to coral reefs, the value of goods and services provided by these ecosystems, and economic losses that will result from their degradation.

A map-based analysis of human pressure on coral reefs in Sabah, Malaysia, designed to halt reef degradation and improve coastal management.

Compares a number of policy options to reduce nutrient loss in the Mississippi River Basin from agricultural sources, provide new income sources for farmers, and help address hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Provides a detailed analysis of threats to coral reefs across Southeast Asia and provides an economic valuation of what will be lost if these threats – destructive fishing, overfishing, marine-based and inland pollution, coastal development – continue.

World Resources 2000-2001: People and ecosystems: The fraying web of life

This millennial edition focuses on five critical ecosystems that have been shaped by the interaction of physical environment, biological conditions, and human intervention: Croplands, forests, coastal zones, freshwater systems, and grasslands.