Coral reefs occupy less than one percent of the Earth’s marine environment, but are home to more than a quarter of all known marine fish species and tens of thousands of other species found nowhere else on earth. Reefs also serve as a buffer against incoming storm surges, protecting local populations. Unfortunately, many coastal ecosystems are threatened by human activities including overfishing, agriculture, and urban development. The degradation of coastal ecosystems not only results in a loss of biodiversity but also a loss of revenue, depleted fish stocks and increased exposure of communities to storms.

WRI is combating degradation of coral reefs with three initiatives:

Economic Valuation of Coastal Ecosystems

In 2005, WRI began working in St. Lucia, Tobago and Belize to more accurately measure the value of coral reefs in the Caribbean and to identify incentives for decision-makers to reduce threats to coral reefs. The Economic Valuation project seeks to measure the value of reefs in three areas: tourism, fisheries, and shoreline protection.

JUST RELEASED: Final results of the Belize analysis are now available on the project site.

Reefs at Risk: Analysis of Threats to Coral Reefs

Published by WRI in 1998, Reefs at Risk is the first map-based publication showing global threats to coral reefs around the world. Following the initial global study, WRI conducted two regional analyses, Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia (2002) and Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean (2004), which provide more detailed analyses of threat within each region. Each report includes map-based indicators of threat from coastal development, inland sources of sediment and pollution, marine-based threats and overexploitation.

NEW PROJECT: Reefs at Risk Revisited, launched in July 2008, will update the 1998 global analysis. This project will use more comprehensive, high resolution information and also assess climate-related threats to coral reefs.

Watershed-based Analysis of Threats to Coral Reefs

WRI has conducted extensive analysis of land-based threats to coral reefs in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MAR) to support more targeted and effective policy interventions. The analyses examine sedimentation and nutrient run-off at a watershed level.