By Rebekah Mintzer
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| Coral reefs like this one off the coast of Fiji are valuable components of aquatic ecosystems. (Photo credit: Flickr user Saspotato /Creative Commons.) |
8 Feb 2010 [MediaGlobal]: The UN International Year of Biodiversity 2010, presents a challenge for world leaders — prevent degradation of the planet’s most species-rich areas or suffer the consequences in the future. Coral reefs are incredibly diverse ecosystems and yet are among the most at-risk for disappearing. According to The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study, it is estimated that one-fifth of coral reefs have already been degraded by humans or are on the brink of destruction.
“The livelihoods, cultures, and futures of the people of Small Island Developing States [SIDS] are inextricably linked with the coral reefs surrounding them,” Gabriel Grimsditch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) told MediaGlobal . “Marine biodiversity in coral reefs is indispensable for SIDS because it provides them with most of their food and livelihoods through fishing, as well as providing them with protection from storm surges and coastal erosion.”
According to TEEB, some 30 million of the world’s poorest people are reliant on coral reefs for economic stability and personal nutrition. People of coastal communities in the “Coral Triangle” of Southeast Asia to the Caribbean get much of their protein intake from fish that inhabit these coral reefs. TEEB reports that each hectare of coral reef provides $57,00 per year in bio-prospecting, the business of finding organic material like plants and microorganisms in nature that can be used in medicine, medical research, or medical treatment. Each hectare of reef is worth $189,000 annually as coastline protection from forces like waves and beach erosion. Acting as a natural barrier, coral reefs absorb the impact from stormy seas and waves, sheltering humans and preserving island beaches. TEEB also states that the value of reefs for tourism has been estimated at a value of $1 million a year for each hectare. Without the beauty of pristine coral reefs, many SIDS that rely on tourism income would lose a great deal of economic stability.
The death of coral and the species that thrive on it results largely from pollution, over-fishing, and bad fishing practices like using dynamite to break reefs. Global warming is another contributor to degradation.
According to Pavan Sukhdev, Study Leader of TEEB, once coral reefs reach a level of carbon dioxide above the range of 350-480 parts per million (ppm), degradation will no longer be preventable. “Levels are currently at 387 ppm. Therefore what we need is significant CO2 removals now and an aggressive global resolve to cut future emissions drastically to avoid continued rises in CO2 levels,” Sukhdev told MediaGlobal via e-mail.
Many organizations have come to the rescue of reefs in peril. In May 2009, heads of state from the Coral Triangle agreed on a formal initiative to protect the area. Several nonprofits have made an effort to help conserve coral reefs through the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the development of initiatives that involve coastal communities in protecting their coral-derived resources.
The executive director of the Coral Reef Alliance, Brian Huse told MediaGlobal of a conservation system that his organization created in Fiji by implementing a small tourist fee for use of a protected reef area: “The protected status of the reserve ensures that they will see thriving reefs and schools of large fish, while the money goes back to the community to fund continued conservation and community benefit projects. For instance, user fee income is now funding scholarships that are allowing 130 children to pursue higher education, a luxury not accessible prior to the tourism income.”
Another project, by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to protect reefs using MPAs off the coast of the Arnavon Islands, part of the Solomon Islands, has caused a significant increase in many types of fish within the MPAs and allowed for spillover of fish species into other reef areas where fishing is permitted, thus benefiting the community economically.
“This has so impressed communities from neighboring islands that they have requested TNC to help them replicate the Arnavons example in reefs adjacent to their communities,” Rod Salm, director of marine conservation programs in the Asia Pacific for TNC told MediaGlobal. “This is a big deal.”
