According to a March 2011 report from the World Resources Institute, 75 percent of the world's coral reef ecosystems are at risk of destruction. Sixty percent comes from direct human exploitation, namely from destructive fishing practices and rapid coastal development. In Southeast Asia, where coastal populations are rapidly on the rise, 95 percent of coral reef ecosystems are threatened, as billions depend upon a massive and highly invasive commercial fishing market. Aside from such obviously damaging practices as dynamite and cyanide fishing, much of the damage comes simply from overfishing areas and specific species. As fishermen harvest the larger fish species in a reef environment, the resulting disruption of the food chain creates severe ecological imbalances.
The careless exploitation of coral reefs has many economic consequences. Coral reefs provide billions of dollars in worldwide revenue. First and foremost, commercial fishing provides jobs and food for countless communities, both neighboring reef ecosystems and abroad. In Southeast Asian coastal communities, where many of the world's reef systems thrive, coral reef fish are a staple food and a means of subsistence. In the United States, an estimated $100 million in revenues comes from coral reef fishing nurseries alone. Tourism adds another important factor. Reef-protected beaches and coral reef diving zones throughout the Caribbean, Polynesian Islands, Southeast Asia and the Australian coast, for example, provide a multi-billion dollar industry. The warm, shallow waters and easy coastal access of the vibrant and densely populated barrier reef ecosystems make them prime diving destinations, worldwide.
Developments in scientific research and medicine draw attention to many long-term cons of careless reef exploitation. The unique biodiversity and ecological makeup of reef ecosystems continues to provide scientists with a wealth of new information in the fields of marine biology and ecology. In the emerging fields of bio-medicine and bio-technology, scientific research on the chemical properties of coral species has uncovered potential medicines for a number of ailments, including heart disease, arthritis, cancers and bacterial infections.
For the past couple of decades, several organizations have emerged to fight for coral reef protection; some of the most prominent include the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Association (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, in addition to a fleet of international actors springing to action around the globe. Early action focused on direct reef exploitation; i.e. limiting the impact of tourist practices and imposing regulatory standards for fishing practices. Today, the focus has shifted towards associated environments such as seagrasses, mangroves and watersheds originating from further inland, making policy changes with regards to practices like waste disposal and water contamination standards.