Management of Bleached and Severely Damaged Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Rivalling terrestrial rainforests in their biological diversity, and providing major economic benefits from fisheries and tourism, coral reefs ecosystems are of global concern. In addition, reefs provide many vital functions in developing countries, especially in Small Island Developing States. Until recently, stresses caused by human activities – such as land-based sources of pollution and destructive fishing practices – were considered to be the primary dangers to coral reefs. While these problems still persist, the last two decades have seen the emergence of yet another, potentially much greater threat. Coral reefs have been affected, with increasing incidence and severity, by coral bleaching, a phenomenon associated with a variety of stresses, especially increased sea water temperatures. Severe and prolonged bleaching can lead to widespread coral mortality, and the unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality event in 1998 affected large areas of coral reef in the Indo-Pacific.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK.
2000
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| Subjects: | Coral reefs, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/264 |
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| Summary: | Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the
world. Rivalling terrestrial rainforests in their biological
diversity, and providing major economic benefits from
fisheries and tourism, coral reefs ecosystems are of global
concern. In addition, reefs provide many vital functions in
developing countries, especially in Small Island Developing
States.
Until recently, stresses caused by human activities – such
as land-based sources of pollution and destructive fishing
practices – were considered to be the primary dangers to
coral reefs. While these problems still persist, the last two
decades have seen the emergence of yet another, potentially
much greater threat. Coral reefs have been affected, with
increasing incidence and severity, by coral bleaching, a
phenomenon associated with a variety of stresses, especially
increased sea water temperatures. Severe and prolonged
bleaching can lead to widespread coral mortality, and the
unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality event in 1998
affected large areas of coral reef in the Indo-Pacific. |
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