| Coral reefs around the world are under
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| | - Corals need very specific conditions to
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| siege - FACT. Threats from over-fishing,
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| | survive - a narrow range of water
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| urban coastal encroachment and rising sea
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| | temperatures, access to sunlight and low
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| temperatures are destroying sensitive
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| | pollution levels.
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| corals and devastating the marine life
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| | - More than 14 million hectares/35
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| they support.
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| | million acres of coral reefs have been
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| According to The United Nations, in the
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| | destroyed by human activity - 10 percent
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| last four years ten percent of the
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| | of the world's reefs have died during the
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| world's reefs have died, and nearly a
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| | last four years alone, a number that
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| quarter are sick and suffering. Think
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| | could rise to 20-30 percent by 2010
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| about that for a second. More than half
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| | without immediate and decisive action to
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| of the living reefs are seriously
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| | preserve and sustain those that are left.
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| threatened, and scientists estimate that
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| | There are a number of reef threats one
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| if today's trends continue mankind will
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| | has to be aware of. These include the
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| cause the irreversible loss of reef
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| | following:
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| formations and related fish species
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| | - Global warming is perhaps the most
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| within 40 years.
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| | serious threat to healthy coral reefs.
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| Fortunately, there is a growing dedicated
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| | Scientists expect sea temperatures to
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| global effort to reversing this decline
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| | rise several degrees in the next 20
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| and to finding new - and sustainable -
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| | years. When water temperatures get too
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| ways to manage the last of Earth's
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| | high, corals turn white or bleach and
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| remaining coral reefs. Here are some reef
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| | eventually die.
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| facts for you to consider:
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| | - More than 75 percent of the earth's
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| - Coral reefs are home to more than 25
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| | people live in coastal areas, bringing to
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| percent of all marine life - yet occupy
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| | pristine coral reefs such threats as
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| less than one percent of the ocean
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| | over-fishing, pollution and direct
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| floors.
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| | physical damage. Asia's population is
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| - Coral reefs have been around 100
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| | expected to double in the next 25 years -
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| million years and are the largest living
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| | the threat of further reef
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| structures on earth. Australia's Great
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| | over-exploitation grows as well.
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| Barrier Reef is more than 2,000 km long
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| | - Fishing with explosives, as in Burma
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| and can be seen from outer space.
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| | and Thailand, and poisons in Indonesia
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| - Scientists have found as many as 3,000
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| | not only kills fish but reefs as well. In
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| different species living on one reef in
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| | the Philippines, about 180,000 kg of
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| Indonesia.
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| | cyanide is dumped into the ocean each
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| - Coral reefs protect shorelines from
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| | year, badly degrading local reefs.
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| erosion and storm damage. Without reefs,
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| | - Sedimentation caused by run-off from
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| many islands, in the Banda Sea for
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| | poorly planned and managed construction,
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| example, and low lying mainland would be
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| | logging or mining, muddy reef waters with
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| underwater.
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| | silt, cutting them off from the sunlight
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| - Coral reefs are a tremendous medical
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| | they need to survive. There are now no
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| resource, providing chemical compounds
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| | coastal reefs remaining in Phuket.
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| used in antihistamines, antibiotics and
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| | - Water pollution from sewage, oil and
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| other medications for illnesses ranging
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| | other chemicals can poison coral reefs.
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| from asthma to leukaemia and heart
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| | Ordinary rubbish dumped in the ocean can
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| disease. Indeed, more than half of all
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| | also kill coral reef life - plastic bags
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| new cancer drug research focuses on
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| | have been found in the stomachs of reef
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| marine organisms.
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| | fish and turtles. Both these degrading
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| - More than 350 million people worldwide
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| | activities are taking place in Phi Phi
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| depend on corals for food and survival.
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| | Islands.
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| - Corals are animals-not rocks or
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| | - Coastal development, which involves
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| plants-and they come in two types, hard
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| | altering coastline habitats and the
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| and soft.
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| | cutting of mangrove forests, also
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| - Some deep water corals grow very
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| | threatens the ocean's fragile ecosystem.
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| slowly-as little as 30 cm in 1,000 years,
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| | The small group of Thailand Dugongs is
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| while some shallow water corals may grow
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| | under serious threat at Koh Turatao due
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| up to 15 cm per year.
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| | to this very problem.
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