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