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The Ocean's Top 10 Coral Reef Hotspots Identified
For First Time
Study Sounds Alarm for Extinctions of Marine Species
[more...]
The 10 coral reef hotspots, ranked according to the
degree of threat, are (see links to fact sheet for more
details):
Source:
http://www.biodiversityscience.
org/xp/news/press_releases/2002/021402a.xml#9
For First Time
Study Sounds Alarm for Extinctions of Marine Species
[more...]
The 10 coral reef hotspots, ranked according to the
degree of threat, are (see links to fact sheet for more
details):
- Philippines
- Gulf of Guinea
- Sunda Islands
- Southern Mascarene Islands
- Eastern South Africa
- Northern Indian Ocean
- Southern Japan, Taiwan and southern China
- Cape Verde Islands
- Western Caribbean
- Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Source:
http://www.biodiversityscience.
org/xp/news/press_releases/2002/021402a.xml#9
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| ADVENTURE O U T D O O R · T R A V E L · C E N T E R |
WHAT IS A CORAL REEF?
Coral reefs are constructed by living plants and animals, primarily corals
that surround their small anemone-like tentacles in a hard skeleton that
forms much of the reef structure.
They generally occur in clear, tropical or semi-tropical seas to a depth of
approximately 100 meters (328 feet). Coral reefs fringe approximately one
sixth of the world's coastlines and are the biologically richest of all
shallow-water marine ecosystems.
They support as many as 1 million species of animals and plants, but
only a small fraction have been described. Among the best known groups
are at least 5,000 species of fish, over 10,000 species of mollusk and
more than 800 species of reef-building corals. Approximately 30 percent
of marine fish species occur on coral reefs.
WHY ARE CORAL REEFS IMPORTANT?
The majority of the world's estimated 284,000 sq. km (110,000 sq. mi) of
coral reefs-an area about the size of the U.S. state of Nevada, or half the
size of France-lie within the waters of developing countries, and support
the livelihoods of millions of people. They supply seafood, building
materials, sources for medicinal products, and draw in much needed
tourism revenue. Every year tens of millions of tourists dive or snorkel on
coral reefs worldwide.
Many Caribbean countries gain most of their foreign earnings from such
tourism, and fees levied on tourists support a growing number of marine
parks throughout the region. In the Florida Keys alone, reef tourism has
been valued at $1.6 billion per year.
Reefs also protect shorelines and communities from storms and
erosion. Despite their extraordinary value, coral reefs are deeply
threatened by human activities and global climate change. Worldwide,
already 25 percent of coral reefs have been destroyed or badly degraded,
and the prognosis for their survival is grim without a major global
conservation effort.
Biodiversity is rapidly "bleeding away" in the coral reef hotspots, 10
regions exceptionally rich in marine species found nowhere else and
also facing extreme threat. The coral reef hotspots are identified for the
first time in a study conducted by the Center for Applied Biodiversity
Science at Conservation International and published in Science
magazine.
Source:
http://www.biodiversityscience.org/xp/news/press_releases/2002/021402a.xml#9
Coral reefs are constructed by living plants and animals, primarily corals
that surround their small anemone-like tentacles in a hard skeleton that
forms much of the reef structure.
They generally occur in clear, tropical or semi-tropical seas to a depth of
approximately 100 meters (328 feet). Coral reefs fringe approximately one
sixth of the world's coastlines and are the biologically richest of all
shallow-water marine ecosystems.
They support as many as 1 million species of animals and plants, but
only a small fraction have been described. Among the best known groups
are at least 5,000 species of fish, over 10,000 species of mollusk and
more than 800 species of reef-building corals. Approximately 30 percent
of marine fish species occur on coral reefs.
WHY ARE CORAL REEFS IMPORTANT?
The majority of the world's estimated 284,000 sq. km (110,000 sq. mi) of
coral reefs-an area about the size of the U.S. state of Nevada, or half the
size of France-lie within the waters of developing countries, and support
the livelihoods of millions of people. They supply seafood, building
materials, sources for medicinal products, and draw in much needed
tourism revenue. Every year tens of millions of tourists dive or snorkel on
coral reefs worldwide.
Many Caribbean countries gain most of their foreign earnings from such
tourism, and fees levied on tourists support a growing number of marine
parks throughout the region. In the Florida Keys alone, reef tourism has
been valued at $1.6 billion per year.
Reefs also protect shorelines and communities from storms and
erosion. Despite their extraordinary value, coral reefs are deeply
threatened by human activities and global climate change. Worldwide,
already 25 percent of coral reefs have been destroyed or badly degraded,
and the prognosis for their survival is grim without a major global
conservation effort.
Biodiversity is rapidly "bleeding away" in the coral reef hotspots, 10
regions exceptionally rich in marine species found nowhere else and
also facing extreme threat. The coral reef hotspots are identified for the
first time in a study conducted by the Center for Applied Biodiversity
Science at Conservation International and published in Science
magazine.
Source:
http://www.biodiversityscience.org/xp/news/press_releases/2002/021402a.xml#9