Coral Reefs: A Reef Resilience Toolkit Module

Threats to Coral Reefs

There are many threats to coral reefs, with some having a much greater and longer lasting impact than others. Although any activity that causes degradation is to be avoided, stakeholders need to be aware of certain key threats in order to become part of the solution:

Destructive fishing practices, such as beach seining, in which large nets with small mesh sizes are dragged over the reef, is a local threat to coral reefs. Building local awareness of the social and economic consequences of coral reef destruction can help promote effective management. Photo © E. Verheij

• Destructive fishing and overfishing

Cyanide use

Dynamite fishing

Spearfishing

Removal of BOFFF

• Coastal development

Habitat destruction

Deforestation/erosion

Dredging and filling

• Pollution

Agricultural run-off

Industrial waste

Urban waste

• Unsustainable tourism activities

Anchoring

Diver damage

Marina construction

• Global climate change

Bleaching

Disease

Tropical storms

Acidification

Awareness of the social and economic consequences of coral reef destruction has stimulated numerous local, national, regional, and global programs to address the direct impacts of people on these valuable systems. But new global stresses, such as mass coral bleaching, addressed by this toolkit, pose additional challenges for coral reef managers who are only aware of few effective solutions.

Resources

Coral Reef Alliance’s Threats to Coral Reefs

UN Atlas of the Oceans Coral Reef Threat Assessment

International Year of the Reef Coral Reef Status and Threats

WRI’s Reefs at Risk