The importance of coral reefs

Coral reefs occupy less than one quarter of 1 percent of the marine environment, yet are home to more than 25 percent of all known marine fish species.¹⁶ In fact, these ecosystems support more species per unit area than any other marine environment, with estimated 1-8 million species of organisms still left undiscovered.¹⁷ This section will highlight the importance of supporting the coral reefs in the following order: the coral reefs as (i) a critical habitat for numerous animal and plant species; (ii) a source of food and revenue; (iii) a tourist attraction; (iv) a barrier for coastal protection; (v) a source of cultural value and future opportunity.

Coral reefs are a critical habitat for a variety of animal and plant species, with circa 4,000 coral reef-associated fish species described to date.¹⁸ They provide protection and shelter for numerous marine animals and play a key role in supporting a stable equilibrium ecosystem. As previously illustrated with the mutualistic relationship between coral reefs and zooxanthellae, the productivity and efficacy of the panorama of underwater life in large part stems from the symbiotic relationship between various organisms. For instance, the langouste, also known as the spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus), depend on coral reefs for protection, especially during their vulnerable molting process. Simultaneously, their main prey consists of sea urchins, which feed on kelp forests. Unconstrained, the sea urchins would graze the entirety of kelp forests,

15 Paul Marshall and Heidi Schuttenberg, 2006, A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching. Australia:

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, p. 98.

16 WWF, ‘Coral facts.’ Accessed 28 December 2016.

17 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ‘Corals: The Importance of Coral Reefs.’

Accessed 10 March 2017. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral07_importance.html

18 Lauretta Burke et al., 2011, Reefs at Risk Revisited, Washington: World Resources Institute, p. 11.

devastating the habitat of a host of invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals.¹⁹ Another example of the importance of reefs in maintaining stability across food webs is the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate). Hawksbills primarily feed around coral reefs, foraging on a variety of marine sponges. Sponges compete with coral reefs for space, and by curbing their population, hawksbills change their distribution in reef ecosystems, impacting the overall diversity of coral reef communities.²⁰ Beyond their impact on the reefs, sea turtles play a key role in the nutrient recycling as biological transporters from marine to terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, the ‘rainforests of the sea’ are a critical habitat for numerous species, help with nutrient recycling, and are the source of essential nutrients for marine food chains. Removing just one group of organisms from the reef food web would have cascading effects across the ecosystem, proving that coral reefs act as an important stabilizer for the aquatic equilibrium.^21,22

Dynamic and highly productive, the importance of coral reefs is visible beyond serving as a vital shelter for a variety of marine organisms. In fact, approximately one billion people have some dependence on coral reefs for food and revenue.²³ A 2007 report from the World Resources Institute estimated that in the Southeast Asian region alone, more than 450 million people live within 100 km of a reef, and almost 150 million people live very close to a reef (less than 10 km from the coast and within 30 km of reefs) – that makes Southeast Asia account for 53 percent of the most reef-dependent people:

19 ‘Kelp Forests,’ National Marine Sanctuaries. Accessed 10 March 2017.

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/kelpdesc.html

20 E.G. Wilson et al., ‘Why Healthy Oceans Need Sea Turtles: The Importance of Sea Turtles to Marine Ecosystems,’ July 2010, p.7. Accessed 10 March 2017.

http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Why_Healthy_Oceans_Need_Sea_Turtles.pdf

21 Burke 2011:26.

22 ‘Human impact on the Reef,’ Queensland Museum. Accessed 15 March 2017.

http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/05human-impact/importance-of-coral-reefs.html

23 NOAA Coral reef conservation Program. Accessed 28 December 2016.

http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcorals/values/fisheries/

Figure 2: Number of people living near coral reefs in 2007, World Resources Institute.²⁴

One of the most explicit forms of human dependency on reefs are fisheries, which provide employment, income, and food. The coral reef habitat contains species of fish and other seafood that is commercially targeted for fishing, and exports of these species are an important source of revenue for tropical economies.²⁵ For instance, reef-derived fish are one of the most valued fish in the trade, with imports of live reef food fish into Hong Kong estimated at 15-20,000 tonnes and valued at app. US$486 million in 2002.²⁶ Due to the depleted reefs near Hong Kong after the 1990s, these imports have extended into the Indo-Pacific region, with the main exporting countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia, amongst others:

24 World Resources Institute, ‘Number of People Living Near Coral Reefs in 2007’, February 2011.

Accessed 15 March 2017. http://www.wri.org/resources/charts-graphs/number-people-living-near-coral-reefs-2007

25 Burke 2011:69.

26 Yvonne J. Sadovy et al., 2003, While Stocks Last: The Live Reef Food Fish Trade, Manila, Philippines: Asia Development Bank, p. xi.

Figure 3: Live reef fish trade routes in the Southeast Asian region. The majority of life reef food fish are imported into Hong Kong, China.²⁷

Significantly, reefs play a frequently overlooked role in poverty alleviation. As most fisheries are open access systems and have relatively low entry costs, reef fishing acts as a ‘social safety-net’ for the unemployed and the mobile labour force.²⁸ Generally speaking, main fishing gear used include spears and nets, and the activity of gleaning – that is to say, harvesting by hand, is practiced predominantly by women and children in and around shallow inshore reef areas.^29,30 Reef gleaning and fishing is a prevailing source of subsistence income for poor households, especially visible in many coastal communities. Research concludes that there is a strong dependency on reef fishing as a source of protein for coastal dwellers’ diets, particularly those living below the national poverty line. One example of this are the people on the archipelago of Lakshadweep off the southwestern coast of India, who depend on fishing as a source of 90 percent of their protein intake.³¹

Furthermore, supplying coral reef fish species and invertebrates for aquariums constitutes yet another source of income for those regions and households that export them. Coral reefs shelter numerous species of fish, and depending on their rarity and

27 ZSL, ‘The Global Trade in Marine Animals.’ Accessed 15 March 2017.

https://www.zsl.org/conservation/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade-crisis/the-global-trade-in-marine-animals

28 Francesca Booker et al., 2013, ‘Reef Dependency and Change: Barbados Case Study,’ Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment Project, p. 13. Accessed 13 March 2017. http://www.force-project.eu

29 Burke 2011:68.

30 Christy Loper et al., 2008, ‘Socioeconomic Conditions along the World’s Tropical Coasts: 2008’, California: Print Runner, p. 23.

31 Ibid, pp. 26-27.

uniqueness, the price for some specimen may range from US$1,000 to US$400,000.³² Various sets of data have been gathered by researchers to evaluate the global shipping pathways of the marine aquarium trade, with the below map specifically illustrating Taiwan’s exports:

Figure 4: Taiwan in the global marine aquarium trade, with exports primarily to the United States.³³

Dependence on reef-derived resources for livelihoods and subsistence is a prevailing trend across the world. If properly managed, it is estimated that reefs can yield circa 15 tonnes of marine food per square kilometre annually.³⁴

Revenues generated by tourism are significant both for the government and local communities. According to the World Resources Institute, reef tourism benefits at least 96 countries and territories, and in 23 countries and territories, reef tourism accounts for more than 15 percent of GDP.³⁵ In Australia, for example, tourism has grown to become the principal industry in the GBR area, with the total value of reef tourism increasing in response to rapid worldwide rise in interest in recreational travel;

currently, the economic contribution of the GBR to Australia was calculated at over US$1 billion annually.³⁶ The value of tourism is also visible in smaller-scale areas.

Bonaire, part of the ABC islands in the Caribbean Sea off the northern coast of Venezuela, is surrounded by a 6,7000 acre national marine park. Despite its relatively small size of less than 300 km² and app. 19,000 inhabitants, the island’s economic activities associated with the reefs earn about US$23 million annually, with the cost of

32 Jean Ferraiuolo, 2014, ‘10 of the Most Expensive Tropic Fish,’ The Richest. Accessed 15 March 2017. http://www.therichest.com/luxury/most-expensive/10-of-the-most-expensive-tropical-fish/

33 New England Aquarium, ‘Marine Biodiversity and Trade Flow.’ Accessed 19 March 2017.

https://www.aquariumtradedata.org/

34 WWF, ‘Coral reefs.’ Accessed 28 December 2016.

ttp://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_importance/

35 Burke 2011:70.

36 WWF, ‘Coral reefs.’ Accessed 28 December 2016.

managing the park under US$1 million.³⁷ Placing dive shops numbers in relation to their potential economic importance, Bonaire is ranked as having the strongest dependence on dive tourism.³⁸ Overall, drawn by the coral reefs, tourist spending support a range of local businesses, from hotels, gastronomy, dive shops, transportation, to directly contributing to the management costs of the marine parks through admission fees and donations.

Another importance of coral reefs is their role in coastal protection. Healthy coral reefs are effective barriers from the physical impacts of waves and storms by reducing the energy of waves,³⁹ hence protecting human settlements, infrastructure, as well as coastal ecosystems in the form of seagrass meadows and mangrove forests.

Naturally, the extent of this protection varies according to different factors (such as geology, depth of coral reefs, degree of slope, distance from shore, et cetera), but nevertheless, coral reefs typically reduce shoreline damages, coastal erosion, and wave-induced flooding.⁴⁰ They are also natural coastal protectors against tropical storms, landslides and hurricanes. The World Resources Institute estimates that more than 150,000 km of shoreline in 106 countries and territories receive some degree of coastal protection owing to reefs.⁴¹ Appropriate protection and maintenance of reefs would act as a preventative measure against natural hazards, reducing governmental costs spent on coastal defences and insurance and reconstructions expenditure when the former fails.⁴²

Finally, the intangible value and the potential value of the reefs must be acknowledged. Cultural traditions are interlocked with the existence of coral reefs. As in the case of the Taiwan and the GBR, for many societies indigenous heritage and traditional use of marine resources are intricately woven. For instance, for the Tao (Yami), the native population of Orchid Island (Lanyu) situated off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, a crucial component of their maritime tradition centers upon the building of fishing boats and the capture of flying fish, the latter which is regarded as a

37 Coral Reef Alliance, ‘Tourism.’ Accessed 18 March 2017. http://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/why-care-about-reefs/tourism/

38 Burke 2011:70.

39 Robert W. Brander et al., 2004, ‘Spatial and temporal variations in wave characteristics across a reef platform, Warraber Island, Torres Strait, Australia,’ Marine Geology 207, p.169.

40 Burke 2011:70.

41 Ibid.

42 WWF, ‘Coral reefs.’ Accessed 28 December 2016.

sacred gift from the heavens.^43,44 Coral reef surrounds the island, providing shelter for over a thousand kinds of fish and a source of food for green turtles. Together, the traditions of the Tao are tightly interwoven with their environment, and the destruction of one would translate into the loss of the other. Lastly, the full extent of the potential value of the reef is still undefined, especially as a source of medical advancement.

Various reef-dwelling species have “developed complex chemical compounds, such as venoms and chemical defenses, to aid their survival in these highly competitive habitats.”⁴⁵ According to one coral reef ecologist, humankind is 300-400 times more likely to find new treatments for disease in the oceans than on land. It is estimated that less than ten percent of coral reef biodiversity is known and only a small fraction has been explored as a source of biomedical compounds, thus the potential for new medically valuable discoveries is vast.^46,47 As can be observed, the intangible and future values of the coral reefs are key components of why expanded efforts to protect these ecosystems are urgently needed.

In summary, this section reviewed the importance of coral reefs both as a critical habitat for numerous species, as well as an ecosystem upon which millions of people depend on worldwide for food, livelihood, and tourism. Beyond their biological value, coral reefs dissipate wave energy, acting as a barrier for coastal protection. Furthermore, coral reefs hold intrinsic value and serve as a cultural and spiritual connection for indigenous societies. Finally, as only a small sample of reef life has been researched, the potential of the coral reefs as a source of medical advancement is vast. Overall, coral reefs are of immense value to humankind, and the WWF report estimates that they provide approximately US$30 billion each year in goods and services.⁴⁸ Despite the fact that appropriate sustainability and protection strategies for the coral reefs are in the best interests of many stakeholders, their degradation continues to be a rising problem

43 Digital Taiwan, ‘Yami Traditional Fishing Boats.’ Accessed 1 January 2017.

http://culture.teldap.tw/culture/index.php?option=com_content&id=1194%3Ayami-traditional-fishing-boats&Itemid=210

44 Taiwan Indigenous Culture Park, ‘Yami Tribe.’ Accessed 2 March 2017.

http://www.tacp.gov.tw/tacpeng/home02_3.aspx?ID=$3061&IDK=2&EXEC=L

45 Burke 2011:12.

46 Andrew Bruckner, 2002, ‘Life-Saving Products from Coral Reefs,’ Issues in Science and Technology. Accessed 12 January 2017. http://issues.org/18-3/p_bruckner/

47 Burke 2011:12.

48 WWF, ‘Coral reefs.’ Accessed 28 December 2016.

throughout the world. The next section will thus highlight the current situation of coral reefs, pinpointing the most significant local and global threats.