2.4 Benefits of Coral Reefs
31
marine species (Reaka-Kudla 1997; Bryant et al. 1998; Reaka-Kudla 2001). Worldwide approximately 3 billion people depend more or less directly on coral reefs for
a significant part of their livelihood, obtaining their protein needs or other essential
commodities (Bryant et al. 1998; Burke et al. 2011; Teh et al. 2013; Ferrario et al.
2014).
Allemand and Osborn (2019) reported that coral reefs provide important
‘ecosystem services’ that generate the conditions for human communities to settle
and potentially thrive in coastal areas adjacent to the reefs. The ‘ecosystem services’
generally provided include reef tourism (income generation), coastal protection,
primary productivity, food production for the local population, cultural services and
supporting biodiversity. Albright and Cooley (2019) described that many people have
cultural and emotional connections to reefs, thus increasing the overall importance
of healthy coral reef systems to humans.
Coral reefs consist of a diversity of marine organisms such as crustaceans, fish,
molluscs, algae and turtles, which are a food source for humans (UNEP/IUCN 1988;
Costanza et al. 1997; Allemand and Osborn 2019). Coral reefs also provide a source
of livelihood for many people through the fishing and tourism industry (Souter and
Lindén 2000; Allemand and Osborn 2019). Spalding et al. (2017) reported that the
major source of income comes from tourism and recreational activities, where reef
tourism accounts for 30% of global reefs and 9% of coastal tourism worldwide. Reef
tourism is particularly important for the economies of the Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) (Allemand and Osborn 2019); as it becomes the major income earner
for SIDS.
Coral reefs stabilize coastlines, thus protecting the shoreline from erosion by
oceanic swells and tropical storms (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999; Souter and Lindén 2000;
Johnson and Marshall 2007; Albright and Cooley 2019; Allemand and Osborn 2019);
acting as an important natural barrier of storms and floods and protecting about
71,000 km of coastline worldwide (Beck et al. 2018). Coral reefs protect coasts by
mitigating wave energy and storm surges (Albright and Cooley 2019) and hence
reduce wave energy by up to 97% and the wave height by 84% (Ferrario et al. 2014).
Coral reefs also help in the generation of sand (Perry et al. 2015), which is closely
linked to reef tourism (Spalding et al. 2017). In fact, tourists prefer white sandy
beaches and usually opt for tropical island countries for their vacations.
Coral reefs protect essential lagoon and mangrove habitat for vulnerable life
stages of a wide range of commercial and non-commercial species (Johnson and
Marshall 2007), together with providing vital spawning habitats for corals. The coral
spawning environmental window is set as 5 days before spawning to 7 days afterwards (Jones et al. 2015) and involves the synchronous, multi-specific release of
gametes by broadcast spawning coral species.
Furthermore, coral reefs contribute significantly to the well-being of man both
now and in the future (Allemand and Osborn 2019). Coral reefs possess a diverse
genetic reservoir with medicinal properties, and consequently get exploited in the
search of new drugs, thus aiding humanity (Bruckner 2002; UNEP 2005; Cooper
et al 2014).
31
marine species (Reaka-Kudla 1997; Bryant et al. 1998; Reaka-Kudla 2001). Worldwide approximately 3 billion people depend more or less directly on coral reefs for
a significant part of their livelihood, obtaining their protein needs or other essential
commodities (Bryant et al. 1998; Burke et al. 2011; Teh et al. 2013; Ferrario et al.
2014).
Allemand and Osborn (2019) reported that coral reefs provide important
‘ecosystem services’ that generate the conditions for human communities to settle
and potentially thrive in coastal areas adjacent to the reefs. The ‘ecosystem services’
generally provided include reef tourism (income generation), coastal protection,
primary productivity, food production for the local population, cultural services and
supporting biodiversity. Albright and Cooley (2019) described that many people have
cultural and emotional connections to reefs, thus increasing the overall importance
of healthy coral reef systems to humans.
Coral reefs consist of a diversity of marine organisms such as crustaceans, fish,
molluscs, algae and turtles, which are a food source for humans (UNEP/IUCN 1988;
Costanza et al. 1997; Allemand and Osborn 2019). Coral reefs also provide a source
of livelihood for many people through the fishing and tourism industry (Souter and
Lindén 2000; Allemand and Osborn 2019). Spalding et al. (2017) reported that the
major source of income comes from tourism and recreational activities, where reef
tourism accounts for 30% of global reefs and 9% of coastal tourism worldwide. Reef
tourism is particularly important for the economies of the Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) (Allemand and Osborn 2019); as it becomes the major income earner
for SIDS.
Coral reefs stabilize coastlines, thus protecting the shoreline from erosion by
oceanic swells and tropical storms (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999; Souter and Lindén 2000;
Johnson and Marshall 2007; Albright and Cooley 2019; Allemand and Osborn 2019);
acting as an important natural barrier of storms and floods and protecting about
71,000 km of coastline worldwide (Beck et al. 2018). Coral reefs protect coasts by
mitigating wave energy and storm surges (Albright and Cooley 2019) and hence
reduce wave energy by up to 97% and the wave height by 84% (Ferrario et al. 2014).
Coral reefs also help in the generation of sand (Perry et al. 2015), which is closely
linked to reef tourism (Spalding et al. 2017). In fact, tourists prefer white sandy
beaches and usually opt for tropical island countries for their vacations.
Coral reefs protect essential lagoon and mangrove habitat for vulnerable life
stages of a wide range of commercial and non-commercial species (Johnson and
Marshall 2007), together with providing vital spawning habitats for corals. The coral
spawning environmental window is set as 5 days before spawning to 7 days afterwards (Jones et al. 2015) and involves the synchronous, multi-specific release of
gametes by broadcast spawning coral species.
Furthermore, coral reefs contribute significantly to the well-being of man both
now and in the future (Allemand and Osborn 2019). Coral reefs possess a diverse
genetic reservoir with medicinal properties, and consequently get exploited in the
search of new drugs, thus aiding humanity (Bruckner 2002; UNEP 2005; Cooper
et al 2014).