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coral predators are also harmful to corals but generally only
at local levels, and these can be managed with existing laws.
Let’s examine the big three.
Ocean warming and ocean acidification. These two global
threats are very different but share the same cause: rising levels
of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most significant greenhouse gas in
Earth’s atmosphere. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels,
cement production and the clearing of forests drive this threat.
Rising CO2 in the atmosphere has changed the planet’s
climate and warmed the ocean, causing corals to expel the
microscopic algae from their cells, which leads to coral
bleaching and death. Severe bleaching destroyed 19 percent
of the world’s reefs between 1997 and 1999, and more corals
died during a second worldwide mass bleaching in 2010.
Regional events caused local losses, including a loss of more
than 60 percent of the coral in the U.S. Virgin Islands during
a 2005 Caribbean mass-bleaching event.
Rising CO2 is also entering the ocean, dropping the pH
and depriving corals of the carbonate ions they need to build
their calcium-carbonate skeletons. This one-two punch slows
coral growth and recovery, kills corals and makes reefs erode
faster than we’ve ever seen.
Coral disease. Coral disease is becoming more common
because of warming ocean waters and pollutants flowing onto
reefs. Researchers in Florida found that corals caught diseases
from human sewage dumped into the ocean. Unfortunately,
the causes of most coral diseases remain unidentified.
Protective Measures
Hundreds of laws protect corals and coral reefs worldwide.
In the United States, more than 80 regulations protect corals
directly or indirectly. It is illegal, for example, to collect live
stony corals without a permit in every coral-bearing state
and territory. Laws in Florida and Hawaii prohibit damaging
corals as well. Thousands of marine protected areas (MPAs)
throughout the world also provide varying degrees of
protection for corals.
If corals are listed under the ESA, federal agencies would
be required to help conserve these species. Additionally,
these agencies would be required to evaluate potential
impacts of projects they authorize, fund or carry out
and consult with NOAA Fisheries to ensure they do not
jeopardize listed coral species or damage coral-reef habitats.
In addition, NOAA Fisheries would develop recovery plans
— road maps for resource managers, landowners, fishermen
and others to use to promote the recovery of listed corals.
ESA prohibitions against “take” (harm, collection,
damage, killing or attempts to do these) would immediately
apply to any corals listed as endangered in the U.S. and
its territories. A separate rule prohibiting take would be
required for species listed as threatened. NOAA’s Office of
Law Enforcement along with cooperating law-enforcement
agencies would be responsible for carrying out these rules
with the goal of preventing extinction and helping listed
corals recover. Divers who have a “look but don’t touch”
mentality have nothing to fear and everything to gain from
these protections.
Coral reefs are declining rapidly. We have already lost
more than 20 percent of the world’s reefs and will likely lose
another 35 percent in the next few decades. It is clear we
value these ecosystems. To ensure they’re still around for
future generations, we must reduce the greenhouse gases that
are warming and acidifying the ocean and reduce stressors
such as pollution, habitat degradation and destructive fishing
practices that damage reefs locally. Both these steps are
necessary to protect corals, and you can help. AD
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• When diving, practice good buoyancy control, and avoid contact
with corals.
• When boating, use mooring buoys, or anchor well away from live corals.
• When fishing, keep gear and lines away from corals.
• When dining, choose sustainable seafood, and avoid key grazers
such as parrotfish.
• When traveling, use carbon offsets to reduce the impact of aviation.
• Conserve energy and water.
• Make sure your sewage is properly treated.
• Avoid using fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals that can run
off into local waterways and the ocean.
What can you do?
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D., is coordinator of NOAA Coral Reef Watch.
Chelsey N. Young is a protected resources specialist for NOAA Fisheries.