10 – The Future of Coral Reefs in a Rapidly Changing World
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Figure 10.5 The effect of changing global conditions has ramifications on reef-building corals and on the organisms that
live in association with coral reefs. The increasing mortality of corals leads to a loss of reef function and services, which
leads to reduced biodiversity and effects on fish populations, among other things. These changes have ramification for the
humans dependent on coral reefs through effects on tourism, resources for coastal populations and protection of coastal
infrastructure from storms. Maintaining reef resilience through protection of herbivore populations is one possible way to
improve the recovery of coral reefs after coral bleaching. It is important to understand that increasing uncertainty does not
mean that the problem does not exist. Rather it highlights the fact that we know things will change but have little detailed
information on the nature of the changes or their magnitude. (Figure: D. Kleine and O. Hoegh-Guldberg.)
105
Figure 10.5 The effect of changing global conditions has ramifications on reef-building corals and on the organisms that
live in association with coral reefs. The increasing mortality of corals leads to a loss of reef function and services, which
leads to reduced biodiversity and effects on fish populations, among other things. These changes have ramification for the
humans dependent on coral reefs through effects on tourism, resources for coastal populations and protection of coastal
infrastructure from storms. Maintaining reef resilience through protection of herbivore populations is one possible way to
improve the recovery of coral reefs after coral bleaching. It is important to understand that increasing uncertainty does not
mean that the problem does not exist. Rather it highlights the fact that we know things will change but have little detailed
information on the nature of the changes or their magnitude. (Figure: D. Kleine and O. Hoegh-Guldberg.)